The Girl Next Door
by FantasyAddict97-10
Summary: Max and her family moves to suburb LA, right next to Fang. But Max has a dark secret she won't tell, and Fang is determined to find out what it is. FAX. All human.
1. Chapter 1

**me: This is a random idea I had last night after I found our my computer had a virus. Dad said to keep it off until Mom could take it to the shop this morning. I'm on my Dad's right now.**

**Angel: Disclaimer!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own MR or it's characters. But I do own the plot, the fact that Dr. M has a new career, that they moved to suburbs of Los Angeles, Kara, and Mrs. Giffiths's baby when she has it.**

**Total: Who's Kara?"**

**me: Max's little sis. Named after my friend. She's know it if she sees this. And she's gonna be mad because there's a guy named Max at our school. And I feel sorry for his little sisters. Anyway, enjoy!**

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"Come on, kids!" Mrs. Griffiths called up the stairs. I finished tying my shoe and bounced down the stairs with Iggy. Iggy really is Mrs. Griffiths son, and the on she'll have in about four months. Nudge, Gazzy, Angel, and I are adopted. Poor Mr. Griffiths was killed, hit by a bus, a month after Mrs. Griffiths found out she was to have another kid.

Mrs. Griffiths picked up the casserole she made for the new neighbors. They've been here, suburb Los Angeles, for a week. But this was the first time Mrs. Griffiths had time to visit, taking care of five children alone with one on the way.

Nudge and Angel jumped down the stairs, giggling. "Let's go!" Nudge said excitedly.

"No, no, no!" Mrs. Griffiths said. "Let's not freak the neighbors out with kids yet. Just me, Fang, and James."

"Mom!" Iggy said. "I'm _Iggy_, stop calling me James!"

"Sorry, James. Now come on."

With a sigh, Iggy followed Mrs. Griffiths out the door, me close behind. We walked along the sidewalk to the house next to ours. Mrs. Griffiths rang the doorbell.

After a few minutes, a young girl, about fourteen like me and Iggy, opened the door. She had long dark hair, perfect teeth and skin, pretty eyes--

I stopped myself and looked away.

"Hello, I'm Mrs. Griffiths," she said. "And this is my son J--Iggy"--Haha. Jiggy. --"and my adopted son Fang."

I shot a half smile.

"I'm Max Martinez," the girl said. She pulled up a little girl behind her that looked exactly like her. "This is my little sis Kara, and....Ella must have run of somewhere already. Come in." She and Kara stepped out of the way for us to come in.

We walked though the door into the living room. Cream colored carpet was on the floor, white ceiling, tan walls. Pictures hung on the walls with dark wood frames, Max, Kara, and I guess Ella, their mother, a pretty lady with short brown hair. There were two men in some of them, sandy-haired men, one with brown eyes and the other with green. A dark-wood shelf was on the far wall, covered in plants, medals, and Ella's academic awards. A mahogany grand piano stood in the other corner, perfect keys glistening. There was a dark arch between the two, leading to a kitchen. A coffee table was in the middle of the room. A TV stood against the wall on one side of it, white sofa to the other with white recliners.

Iggy sat on one end of the sofa, me on the other. Mrs. G sat between us. "I brought over some casserole. Where is your mother? Surly she isn't at work already."

Max nodded. "Kara, go find Ella." Kara granned and ran off. Max sat in a recliner beside the sofa. "She's a firefighter. Used to be a ver. Nearly ten years of college down the drain, I guess." She looked at her feet.

Mrs. G nodded. "Then where is you father?"

"Mom's divorced. Kara and Ella have the same father, but he doesn't want anything to do with us. My father is in prision. Again." She mumbled the 'again' part. I wonder if I was the only one who caught it.

Mrs. G gasped. My eyes widened. Max didn't look like the daughted of a criminal, or like the ones I saw on TV, covered in tatoos, breaking cerfews, drinking and smoking with their greasy-haired boyfriends. Her Mom probably raised her right. "Prision," Mrs. G repeated. "Why is he in prision?"

She pursed her lips. "Uh, over-protectve, Dad thing."

We got that she didn't feel comfortable talking about it. Mrs. G nodded and pushed a lock of pale strawberry-blonde hair behind her ear.

"I see," she said. "So you're here alone with your sisters?"

Max nodded. "My dad usually takes care of us. He's not a bad guy, he only got arrested protecting me."

Oh, so now Max got her father arrested.

"Thank you for the casserole," Max said, picking up the black pan covered in tin foil. She put it in the kitchen. When she came back, the phone rang. That seemed to bug Max for some reason.

Mer face turned hard. "Excuse me," she said coldly and picked up the phone. "Hey....No, Sam.......I am not going to a club! I don't want to come home drunk!.......You can't come over, we have, um, guests........Yes, Mom is gone........They're neighbors! Good bye!" She slammed down the phone.

Mrs. G looked from me to Iggy. "Maybe we should leave," she whispered. We shook our heads.

"Sorry about that," Max said. "Sam's my boyfriend."

"And he wants you to go to a club?" Iggy asked.

She sighed and glanced away. I thought I saw a tear in her eyes. Probably just my imigination. She started playing with her hands. "It's.....It's a long story. Not important, you know... boring."

"So when are you starting school?" Mrs. G asked, eager to change the subject. They've been here for a week and the kids haven't even come to school yet. We would know, with our crazy family.

"It's really heard for us to go to school. I'd have to get everyone ready every morning, take them to school, bring them back. It would be really hard."

"I thought your mother was a firefighter. Go to work one day, off two."

"At work 24 hours. But usually she sleeps those two days if it was a buisy night. Here, it usually is. Back in Mrsa, not normally."

Mrs. G licked her lips. "I could help you. You probably will go to the same high school as J--Iggy and Fang. Ella probably Jr. High with Nudge. And Kara would probably be in elementary with Gazzy and Angel."

"Would you? Mom really wants us in school. She just can't with her job."

"Of course! Just get ready and we'll pick you up Monday."

"Thank you so much. Mom will be so happy. And thanks again for the dinner."

"You're welcome. I'm happy to help. Come on, boys. We better go." We stood up and walked out.

I couldn't sleep that night. I was too buisy thinking about what Max meant about her father. Max. She was so--pretty.

And I couldn't stop thinking about that Sam guy. He seemed like a real jerk, wanting her to go to a club. I wonder why she stays with him. But it was only Saturday. Two more days until answers.

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**me: Hope you liked the chapter! I've gotta upload and get off now. Dad's nervous about me being on fanfiction on his computer, even though a got the virus from fictionpress, and he has to uplode CDs on iTunes.**

**Angel: For her mother's Mother's Day present.**

**Total: iPod.**

**me: I think Mom will like it. Of course, she likes anything we get her. Espicially since the iPod is palm size.**

**Angel: MRA! You gotta go!**

**me: Okay! Total, go!**

**Angel: Why can't I do it?**

**me: You can next chapter. Total!**

**Total: REVIEW!!!**


	2. She Plays Piano?

**me: Okay, a few comments on reviews. First of all, 7 reviews! That rocks, especially for the first chapter!**

**Angel: Maybe we can get more this chapter.**

**me: I'm not going to wish for more then 7. I'd love more reviewers, but SEVEN! I'd like more reviews, but just 7 is fine.**

**Total: So the comments?**

**me: Oh yeah. So to ifurcutesitbyme, it's awesome your name is Kara! Okay, now the Kara character is named after you, too! I'm so happy a Kara is reviewing! And to Iggy4ever, I would get Fang to call Mrs. G by her first name, but I don't know what it is. I don't think it was in the books. Please correct me if I'm wrong. And actually, Fang starts calling her Mom in this chapter. And to Freedom Requires A Battle Cry, first of all, I love your online name! It's awesome! But back to the story, that fact never really occurred to me while I was writing this. What do ya know, it does! And sorry, but I have to have Max/Sam in the story. You'll see why. And Sam has to be a horrible, bad boyfriend. It'll be over soon, I promise!**

**Angel: I know why! I know why! Because--**

**me: *covers Angel's mouth* Shh! Don't give it away!**

**Total: Do you think you'll be able to translate this chapter?**

**me: I don't know! I'm practicing writing in Greek and found the Greek alphabet on the Internet. So I wrote over half this chapter in Greek. Trouble is, the fact never occurred to me that I can't read it. So it'll take me a while to translate it to English. So enjoy!**

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Sunday went by quickly, even though I didn't see Max at church. It's probably hard getting all of them ready, since her mom was probably asleep. Mrs. G said there were a lot of fires in the city part of LA Saturday night.

So before I knew it, our family and the Martinez kids were packed in Mrs. G's SUV. Angel and Nudge even had to sit in the very back, praying that we didn't wreck and ducking whenever we passed a cop car.

Max was quiet the whole way. Just staring ahead. Ella and Kara laughed and joked the whole way. It was just to awkward for me to talk. Iggy and Gazzy were fine, cracking jokes ever two seconds. Let's just say, being in a car with Iggy and Gazzy certainly isn't boring.

"Max," Mrs. G called back. Max looked up. "Your mother and I discussed your schedule. You'll be in the same classes as Fang and J--Iggy."

That made my stomach flip. Why did Iggy and I have to have all the same classes? Just because she was afraid we 'wouldn't fit in'? I stared out the window as we dropped of the younger kids, and finally stopped at Chester B High school.

"Bye, Mrs. G," I murmured as Max and Iggy said bye.

"Fang, I told you, call me Mom." But she rolled up the window with a wave and air kisses and drove off.

"Guys," Iggy said. "I have to go talk to the principal about my act for the talent show." He walked backwards towards the principal's office and turned on the balls of his feet with snaps. What a showoff.

"Jiggy!" Max called. I almost burst out laughing. "What talent show?"

"Max," I said. "It's Iggy. There's a talent show here Thursday night. You thinking about entering?"

She shook her head. "What is Iggy's talent?"

"Magic. He's been doing it since third grade."

"Cool. We better get to class."

Our first class was gym. At least it woke us up. Our teacher, Mrs. Daily, suggested dodge ball. A few people were excited, others groaned how we always played it. Me and Max stayed towards the back while the others pumbled themselves with Styrofoam balls.

"So Iggy is doing magic? Interesting. I've always loved magic," Max said. For some reason, that made my stomach churn.

I remembered the mahogany grand piano in her living room. "So who plays piano?"

"I took piano for a while."

"Yeah? Every think about doing that for a talent show?"

She laughed. "Oh, please! I took piano years ago."

I ducked as a blue ball soared over my head. "I'm sure you're still good!"

"Let me rephrase that: I haven't _touched_ a piano in years. Ella just had her first lesson Friday."

Something in her voice made me change the subject.

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"Hey, guys?" Mrs.—Mom said in the car that afternoon. "I have to run some errands, will you be okay at home?"

We had just dropped off the Martinez kids and pulled in the driveway."We'll be fine," Gazzy said.

"Okay. Iggy, do you have your magic act down?" Iggy grunted his yes.

'Mom' parked the car to let us out. She backed down the driveway and drove off. We jumped in the house. "Where's the milk?" Nudge asked, her head poked in the refrigerator.

"Back of the fridge," I murmured.

"It's not here."

I looked around. Iggy was decorating his magic box. Gazzy was annoying Angel, who looked like she was about to punch him.

I sighed. "I'll go see if Max has any." For once, Nudge didn't try to come with me. No one even noticed.

The door opened at first knock. Max stood there, texting. She smiled when she saw me. "Kara!" she called. "Put that down!"

"Do you—" I stuttered, seeing the piano. I grinned. "Play something."

Her face fell. "No. Ella, play something."

"No, Ella. Max."

"Fine. Ella, Kara, leave." They frowned but ran off down the hall. I raised my eyebrows. She sat down and ran her fingers down the keys. "It feels so different," she whispered.

But she placed her fingers and played "Teardrops on My Guitar". For someone who hasn't played in years, it was awesome.

"Max?" a voice asked. We turned. A woman, the woman from the pictures, Max's mom, stood there. "That was awesome. Who's your friend?"

I walked over to her. "I'm Fang. You must be Mrs. Martinez." I held out my hand.

Even though she looked tired enough to faint, she shook my hand. "Fang. You must come from that big family."

Well, we did have double the kids she did…. "Yes."

"Then nice to meet you, Fang."

I smiled. She turned and walked back to her room. I turned back to Max. "You're going to be in the talent show."

She turned pale, as if she planned on this happening. "No," she said.

"Yes."

She licked her lips, but gave up. "What were you coming for?"

She took me in shock for a minute. "Uh, milk," I stuttered. "Out of milk."

Max stood and walked to the kitchen, handing me a gallon of milk. "I am _not_ entering the talent show."

"Yes you are," I said, shooting her a smile. I walked back home.

"It takes a long time to get milk," Iggy said, trying to hang a wand to his magic box.

"Max was playing the piano. She's really good." Nudge took the milk from me. "But she won't enter the talent show."

Iggy stood, grumbling something about a stupid wand, and looked me in the eye. "She should be in a talent show. It'd be a great chance to meet friends."

I grinned. "Yes. That's why I'm entering her myself."

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**me: And that's that!**

**Total: Max is gonna be freaked when she realizes it.**

**Angel: She's not as agressive in this story, I don't think.**

**me: No. You'll see that in a few chapters. Anyway, hope you like it. It turns out translating Greek isn't as hard as I thought. But my copy & paste and free documents were abused. It wouldn't save. Actually, I really hope this does.**

**Angel: It's my turn to say it!**

**Total: Next, chapter, me, right?**

**me: Yeah, yeah. Go.**

**Angel: REVIEW!**


	3. Max's Tragedy

**me: Okay, not as many reviews as the first chapter, but still good!**

**Angel: What's Max gonna do when she finds out Fang put her in the talent show?**

**me: You'll see. But trust me, she won't be mad for long.**

**Total: What about the Sam junk?**

**me: Sam will be rid of in the next chapter. I've got a lot of negitivity about him. I don't like it, either. Enjoy!**

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"Max," said the principal, walking over to us. I bit my lip. I just entered Max in the talent show for her piano playing. "What song will you be playing?"

Max frowned. "What?"

"For the talent show. What song will you be playing on the paino?"

Well, that took her by surprise. But she smiled. "I'll have to get back to you about that." The principal smiled back and left for his office. After he was out of earshot, Max turned to me, her face red with anger. "FANG!" She started stomping towards me.

I backed against a brick wall, my hands up as if surrendering. "Whoa now, I did you a favor."

"How? I told you, I didn't want in the talent show!"

"Iggy agreed with me. It's a great way for you to meet other students. Besides, Iggy will be there with his magic act."

"You mean the one I wanted to watch from the audiance, not from behind a curtian?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"You little--" She stopped herself and balled her fists. "I'll get you after school. I'm going to class." And without waiting for me, she ran off towards Biology.

Max ignored me the whole time in Biology. We were lab partners, so the only time she had anything to do with me was during an experiment. It got on my nerves, becuase no matter what I did to get her attention she just talked to everyone else.

We were in the middle of an experiment when the office beeped in. "Can we see Max Martinez?" she asked, making Max drop the beeker she was holding. At least it only had water in it. "She has a phone call."

Huh. Usually students don't get phone calls, only staff. Max ripped off some paper towels and gave them to me before leaving for the office. I scowled. She could have at least helped me clean up her mess!

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The last class just started, and Max was hadn't come back. Something was wrong. I raised my hand.

"Fang?" my Spanish teacher called.

"I...have a stomach ache. I think it was the mystery meat. Can I go see the nurse?"

He nodded. I jumped out of my seat and walked out of the classroom. I waited until I was outside of the building to start running. We don't live very far from the school, so I just jogged to Max's house. I waited a minute on her front porch to catch my breath.

I knocked on the door. Nothing. "Max?" I called, hitting the door again. Nothing. Maybe was wasn't here. I tried the doornob. It was unlocked. I pushed open the door and glanced in, my heart pounded. "Max?"

She was laying on the couch, asleep. Around her eyes were red, and her nose. A box of Kleenex sat on the floor beside her. She looked like she was having a bad dream, her eyebrows were knitted together, her lip curled.

I ran over to her and shook her. "Max! Wake up!"

Max's eyes jumped open. They were bloodshot, pain and fear in them. And they immediatly filled with tears. She didn't stop me from pushing her legs off the cough so I could sit next to her. She buried her face in my shoulder and cried.

I wrapped my arms around her and waited for her to stop crying. We sat there, in that position, for about twenty minutes. Obviously, whatever she was dealing with hurt her more then me putting her in the talent show. "Max?" I whispered after she stopped crying.

"It's Tuesday," she whispered. Yeah. What did Tuesday have to do with anything? The talent show in two days? Surly she wouldn't be that sad about the talent show. Then it hit me. Tuesday. Her mother went back to work, as a firefighter.

"Oh, no," I whispered. She nodded and started crying more. I glanced at the wall clock. "Max, it's three. Ella and Kara."

Max sat up and wiped her eyes with a Kleenex. "I just don't know how I'm gonna break it to them."

"Well, you have time to think of something. You're mother normally wouldn't be back until tomorrow morning. Just go get cleaned up or they'll know something's up."

She nodded and stood up. "Thanks, Fang." She smiled, best she could and held her arms out for a hug.

And I did. Butterflies appeared in my stomach. "I need to go now," I said, patting her back. "Good luck."

She let go and nodded again, walking down the hall towards the bathroom. I walked out of the house to my own, and waited on the doorstep until Mom dropped of Ella and Kara and came home. The doors opened and slammed and Mom ran up to hug me.

"Fang! Where did you go? You're Spanish teacher said you went to the nurses office but she hadn't seen you! I was about to go back to your school to look for you."

I bit my lip. "Mom, I need to tell you and Iggy something, in private."

We all got in the house, and Mom, Iggy and I closed the door in Mom's room. I sank on the bed. "I left early today because...." I couldn't think of the right words. I rubbed my knees with my hands. "I was at Max's house. She got called out early because, because her mother was killed in a fire."

Mom's hand flew up to her heart as she gasped, Iggy's mouth dropped and his eyes widened. "Oh!" Mom said. "I'm going there right away!" She ran for the doornob, grabbing her purse of the dresser and throwing it on her shoulder.

"No!" I said. "She hasn't told Ella and Kara yet!"

She stopped at the doorway. "She'll have to tell them some time."

"Well, unfortuetly that won't be until tomorrow morning!"

"Okay, then. Thank you for telling us, Fang." She walked out of the bedroom, me and Iggy behind her.

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**me: Just to let you know, that isn't the dark secret I mentioned in the summary. It's much....deeper then that.**

**Angel: Deeper then Max's mom dying?**

**me: In a way. Not really as much sad, but still sad.**

**Total: Who's turn is it?**

**me: You got first, Angel got second, you get third.**

**Total: Then REVIEW!**


	4. The Talent Show

**me: Chap 4.**

**Angel: My turn!**

**Total: Wait till the end.**

**me: About Sam, he's by-by in this chapter! It's the talent show!**

**Angel: Yay! So is Max still mad at Fang? Or did her mom's death sort of take over?**

**me: Dr. M's death. And there's a little shocky! Think about it, I bet you can't guess it.**

**Total: Then get on with the talent show!**

**me: Okay then. Enjoy!**

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"Ready, Max?" I asked. The Martinez kids had come over to get to the talent show. Max was reviewing her music, I Miss You by Miley Cyrus, dedicated to her mother. I saw Max tearing up just looking at it. But she chose to do it. I wasn't going to fight.

She looked up and tried to smile. "Ready as I'll ever be."

"Mom!" Iggy shouted. "Where's the glass jar?" Iggy was reviewing the things in his magic box for the hundreth time, literally. It wasn't his first talent show, but the first time he got to bigger magic then making someone in a box disappear or pulling a bunny out of the hat.

"In the bottom!" Mom yelled. Iggy was trying to line things up in the order he was going to use them. First things on top, last things in the bottom. I didn't really think it mattered, but you don't mess with Iggy and his magic. Iggy sighed with relief when he found that stupid jar.

Nudge crossed her arms. "I still think I should be able to sing!"

Mom laughed and put her hand on Nudge's shoulder. "It's a Chester B. High talent show. You're in sixth grade."

"Three years away! Close enough! And even if I was singing to Max's playing?" She had been complaining about this for the past hour and a half. Angel and Kara were playing Rock Paper Scissors at the table, Ella was helping Iggy with his magic stuff. Gazzy was sitting on the couch listening to his iPod.

I sat on the couch beside Max. A piano was being pulled from the music room, and we didn't have a keyboard, so she was just air playing, starting over everytime she messed up. She was even mouthing the words to the song, her eyes closed as if it would bring her mother back to life.

Dr. M's funeral was scheduled for Saturday. I knew that was going to be tough for all three of them.

"Well, we better go," Mom said, grabbing her keys. Iggy loaded his magic box in the back after making sure he had everything, again. Max kept her music and was reviewing it the whole way to school. I sat beside her and watched.

"I need to...go talk to the principal about the science test tomorrow," I said as we loaded out of the car. I weaved through the parked cars, running between lines to keep from being hit with moving ones. There were several dozens in the parking lot already, and the show wasn't for another hour.

I met them at the gym entrance, where Iggy was filling out his name in talent in the sign-in sheet. Max's hand trembled as she filled it out, clutching her music like it was her life. Then we walked through towards the auditorium, where the stage was. Iggy ran ahead, and Max and I hung around back.

"Max!" a voice yelled when our families were out of view. We both turned. There was a boy about my age, his hair long and black, his left ear pierced with an earring shaped like a skull. He had black converse on, black skinny jeans, and a black hoodie over a black T-shirt. The guy was emo! Even more then me!

Max bit her lip. "Hey, Sam." Sam. That was her boyfriend, the guy who wanted her to go to a club the first time we met her. He walked up to her and gave her a kiss. "How did you know about this talent show?"

Sam shot a half smile and shrugged. "I have connections, Max." He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close. Max looked away. "Who's this?" he asked seeing me. His eyes narrowed. This was a guy you couldn't help but hate.

"Oh, this is Fang. He's my friend from school. Neighbor."

"Is he your boyfriend?" Sam hissed.

"No, no, no! Not at all!"

But Sam shoved Max aside. Literally. Her back slammed hard into the wall. She groaned, sliding to the floor. My jaw and fists clinched. "What do you think you're doing with my girlfriend?" Sam hissed. His breath showed he'd been drinking. I almost gagged.

"She's a friend, chill!" I yelled. Max's head was turned away like she didn't want to see what was happening. Or she was really in pain. I shook my head and shoved past him towards her. He grabbed my arm and I turned fast enough to duck as his fist flew over my head.

"Why you checking on 'er? Eh?" he hissed.

"Because she's my friend and you're being a jerk!"

He scowled. "What are you sayin?"

"I'm saying you're treating her like trash! And dude, take a breathmint! I can tell you've come from the bar!" This may be a very bad idea. I've seen people like him on TV. Drunk and crazy. These people can be voilent.

He tried to punch me again. If he wasn't so drunk he would have hit me. There was a shadow walking down the hall. "Coach!" I yelled. Football coach. He looked up and came running. Sam was still trying to hit me, but he was easy to dodge.

As soon as the coach took over Sam, I ran to Max. Coach grabbed his walkie talkie. "Call the police. We've got a drunk tresspasser." I grinned.

"Max?" I asked, leaning down beside her. She looked up. "Are you okay?"

She nodded and wiped a tear from her eye. Oh, so now that guy's hurt her and made her cry. If a teacher wasn't right there I would have punched Sam square in the face. "I'm fine. Let's go." She grabbed my hand and I helped her up, picking up her music. We made our way to the auditorium.

"Are you sure you're aloud to be here?" she whispered. We were backstage where about two dozen more kids were getting their acts ready. Most of the girls were flipping through CDs to sing or dance, and who knows what the guys were doing. Max sat her elbow on the side of the shiny piano.

"Yeah. That's what I asked the principal. He said it was fine." The music teacher walked out on stage and tapped the microphone. "You ready? You're sixth."

Her eyes widened. "No, I'm not." She paled as she saw through the curtian that a boy opened. All three hundred seats. Full. And she knew that. "I can't do this, Fang! I've never played in front of anyone but my music teacher! Much less a crowd!"

"And me, Max. You played in front of me. Just imigine you're back in your living room, playing for me. For your mom."

Her eyes dropped and she wiped the bottom of her eye with the back of her hand. She nodded. "Okay. But what about my dedication speech? I'm gonna crack! I don't even have anything ready!" She put her elbows on the piano and put her forehead in her palms.

"Max." I put my arm around her shoulders. "I'll be right here. Just look at me and say it to me."

She nodded. The first girl, a ballet dancer, bowed the crowd and popped her tape from the radio and ran back. The next boy, a rapper, walked on stage and put in his CD. Only four more ahead. I decided not to tell Max.

It seemed like the rapper had just turned off his music when the music teacher said, "And now, on piano, Max Martinez!" The crowd bust into claps.

I nudged Max and two strong boys rolled the piano on the stage. Max gave me a worried look. I nodded and she walked out. She sat her music on the stand and looked up at me. "I would like to dedicate this song to my mother, a firefighter, who was killed earlier this week." Her face turned rock hard. Mothers gasped and husbands comforted. She gave me another worried look and looked to the audiance. I wanted to scream at her to stop, that it was only going to make her more nervous.

I followed her eyes to our families, all sitting there watching, even Kara. They gave a supportive grin and thumbs-up. Max swallowed and placed her hands. With the first cord I looked back and nodded to a boy standing behind me with a guitar like Miley Cyrus plays in the song. He tossed it too me. Max was too consumed in the music to noice.

My heart pounded. I waited until she was done with the into before hitting my first cord. Max's head popped up and I grinned. She grinned back and looked back at the music. I stepped out on stage. The audiance clapped again. Someone, probably Gazzy, screamed 'Go Fang!' and Kara yelled 'Go Max!'

Max started tearing up in the first thirty seconds of the song. She looked up and gave me another smile. I hit a D cord and smiled back. I looked out in the audiance. Girls were mouthing the words to the song, mothers were tearing up, people swayed to the beat.

Slowly we started to stop, slowing down, and came to a hault. She looked up and grinned. I returned it as the audiance burst into appluse and stood up. Yelling for more. I couldn't even hear myself think. Almost everyone backstage was broght to the curtain to watch, and they cheered. A few jealous girls stood behind with their arms crossed. I saw Iggy give us both a huge grin and a thumbs up.

We both walked backstage, leaving the piano on the stage. I gave the guitar back to the boy, who had a huge grin on his face, and turned as Max threw herself on me. "Fang! Thank you!" she said. She was crying, I couldn't tell if it was from happiness or sad for her mother.

"You did it, Max!" I whispered, rubbing her back.

She pulled away and looked around. Everyone was, luckily, too focused on their acts again. A boy with a one-man-band was out there now, sounding like a dying cat. No one was really baying attention. The only grin on everyone's face was probably from our act, considering how women were still sobbing and girls were still silently singing the words. "Where's Iggy?"

"Getting ready for his act. Come on, we can watch it with the crowd now." We slipped out of the backstage door and walked down the hall. "So what's the deal with you and that jerk Sam?" I asked.

Her happy look turned sad and I immidiatly wished I hadn't mentioned it. "It's....a long story. I'd rather not talk about it."

With all that was going on in her life, her mom dead and her dad in jail, she didn't need any more pain. I decided to drop it. "I'll be happy if he goes to jail," she whispered.

"What?"

"Nothing!" But I knew I heard it right.

Iggy's act went great. He let Nudge be his volunteer, and she was happy about that even though she wasn't singing. He got a standing ovation. Our families showered us in congrats and hugs and telling us we did a fantasic job, but with Mom, she would say that even if I was the boy with the horrible one-man-band.

We stayed with them until the last five acts, before they called the winner, and we ran back to backstage. "I bet you'll win," Iggy told us.

"I don't care if we place or not," Max said. "You should get first."

"I don't care, either. We had fun with it. That's the whole point of the talent show, have fun."

The music teacher called everyone to stage. Me, Max, and Iggy stood beside each other, waiting for her to say the first, second, and third places. I felt Max tense beside me as she got the clipboard with the winner's names on them from the judges. "Now, we'll start with third place," she said. "Third place is Manson Barkaletie, hip-hop dancer!" A boy somersaulted to her and took the bronze medal, the crowd cheering.

"Second place is, Iggy Griffiths and his magic act!" The crowd bust into applause and stood again as Iggy took the silver medal. Max gripped my arm. "And, in first place, with their piano and guitar duo" --We weren't the only ones with piano, guitar duos, the Simpson twins also did it with Summertime by Kenny Chesney--"Max Martinez and Fang Griffiths!" Or maybe it is us. We walked up and Max took the gold medal. The crowd stood up and cheered. I grabbed Max's wrist and held up the medal.

**------------------------line----------------------**

**me: And there we go. And Sam is in jail, btw.**

**Angel: For what?**

**me: Abusing, drinking, agression, all that junk. Anyway, bye bye Sam!**

**Total: Good!**

**Angel: My turn!**

**me: Fine. Go.**

**Angel: REVIEW!**


	5. The Protectors

**me: Okay. I had a dream about this chapter, so everything that happens is exactly what happened in the dream, except in Fang POV. The dream was in Max POV.**

**Angel: Why don't you make a chapter in Max POV?**

**me: Because that would give away all the secrets! I still have loads in mind that Fang doesn't know.**

**Total: She told us the dream. It may look a little bad in the beginning, but it helps.**

**me: Yes! And sorry if there's spelling mistakes. The dumb spellcheck is out. Enjoy!**

**-line-**

"Ready?" Mom yelled, grabbing her purse. We were on our way to call the opening of an old church. Only older people, about sixty and up, go to the church, so it's mainly to tell them church in 30 minutes. Ella and Kara were going with us, I didn't know what Max had to do. She was supposed to meet us there. It was only Friday, but the minister called a gathering.

I knew the church was bound to come down any time. Anything could happen to it. The police officals didn't even like it, so we knew it's days were numbered.

We all loaded in the car. What did I do before Max came? I don't know. It hadn't even been a week that we knew each other and I was already bored in the car without her. It seemed like twenty minutes for a ten minute ride to the edge of LA.

"Where's Max?" Kara asked, tugging on my sleeve.

"She'll be here in a little bit." It almost seemed like I was reassuring myself rather then Kara.

None of us bothered to get dressed up like we normally do. Since we didn't attend the church, we would just ring the bell and leave. "Fang," Mom said. "Ring the bell." I was the only one strong enough to ring the bell alone. If I'm not there, Iggy and Gazzy can manage to ring it together. Everyone took a step back. It was loud, like, break eardrum loud. My eardrum actually busted the first time I did it. Trust me, not fun.

"Sorry I'm late," Max murmured after the bell rang. "I...met someone I really didn't want to." Maybe Sam, the idiot.

I nodded. "Okay. Good luck." I turned back towards the bell. Max popped me in the back of the head, making me turn around. She looked like she was almost about to cry. I immediately regretted it. Then there were voices from inside the church, screaming, crashing.

Max's face turned pale. "Oh, no. Run!" She turned. We didn't know what, but we decided pretty quick to follow her. We all jumped over the ditch that surrounded the bell and Max collapsed. "Ow...maybe I shouldn't have let Mom kick me so hard!" Mom? Her mother was...dead. She tried to stand again but fell and started to crawl.

I grabbed her arm and pulled her up, running towards the road. Surprisingly, it wasn't buisy. There wasn't a car in sight. Max stumbled along and pointed to an old shed.

I shoved the door open and we ran in. It had old recliners and sofas, pool toys, floaters, coffee tables, it was pretty much a dump shed. We hid between the back of an old dresser and the wall. "Now what's going on?" I asked.

Max glared at me. "I can't tell you much, only that if they find you, they'll kill you," she whispered

"What about the others?" I whispered back.

"Ella knows to get them to safety. Of course, she was only three years old when this happened last time."

"Last time? This has happened before?"

"Once, and...we weren't so lucky. That was the first time my father was arrested. Little did they know what caused it. He was just...protecting." I blinked. She shook her head. "Fang, I know what you're thinking. My father isn't a bad guy! He just isn't lucky!"

"I never said your father was a bad guy. If it wasn't for him, you wouldn't be here. W-what was his name?"

She averted her eyes. "Jeb. Jeb Batchlelder."

I frowned. "That sounds familliar. Where have I heard that?" Then I remembered what she yelled when she fell. Her mother kicked her. "What did you mean when you fell? Your mother. She...kicked you or something.

Her eyes teared up. "Let's just say, Martinez is not my real last name."

"Yeah. Batchelder is."

"I mean, Ella and Kara aren't my sisters. I'm only related to them by marrige. My father remarried. Now, is this interrogation almost over?"

I nodded. "Sorry. I'm good." Someone shot a shotgun outside, more screaming.

She took a deep breath and put her finger to her lips. There was a sound of a creaking door-the shed door. Max covered her mouth and grabbed my hand in her warm one. Warmth shot through me. A tear rolled down her cheek.

"Please! No!" an older female voice shouted. Max's eyes widened. I didn't recognize the voice, but apparently she did. The woman screamed as she was shot.

The footsteps sounded right in front of the dresser. I started to look out, but Max tugged me back. She pointed to a pool floater, shaped like a big green sea turtal and almost deflated. Then she pointed to the door. I nodded and crept towards the end of the dresser, letting go of Max's hand.

I counted down in my head. _Five...four...three...two...one...go._ I jumped out and flung the floater at him, making him stumbled backwards in shock. I turned over a table and caught his calf, making him fall. I grabbed Max's hand and ran out. Dozens of hundreds of men were out with guns. Police were trying to take them into custody. Bodies laid on the ground, some screaming for help, looking at us with pleading eyes. I didn't see our families, maybe Ella _did_ get them to safety. No one noticed us. We ran for the woods and hid behind a thee, close enough we could see.

"I hope Ella came through," Max whispered. "Mrs. G is in no condition to be shot at."

She was right. Mom's due date was getting closer. We put our backs against the tree and pulled our knees in close. Max was crying now. Memories of when she was six. "Who are these people?" I whispered.

"Terrible, terrible people. They call themselves the Protectors. But they do just the opposite."

"Then why are they shooting innocent people?"

"They aren't innocent, Fang. No one at this church is. Everyone in there has had a criminal record. There was a church just like that in Mesa, but we didn't know that when we first started attending. But the Protectors are out to stop criminal activity, even if they're doing it themselves. My father was the only reason they didn't kill me last time."

"So why do they want to kill my family? They didn't do anything!"

"I know that. You know that. They know that. The Protectors don't know that! You had something to do with the church, rang the bell to alert them. In the Protectors' minds, you're just as guilty as they are. This church was to give people a second chance. All churches are. But not like this one. It's for criminals, people have have been in prison at least once."

My mouth dropped.

She shook her head. "I've told you too much already."

"Max, how did your father go to prison?"

"Don't do this to me, Fang. Please." She looked up at me with pleading eyes, almost as sad and scared as the people attacked by the Protecters.

I nodded. I still wondered how she knew so much about this, but it wasn't my buisness.

-line-

After the Protectors were gone, Max and I stepped out from the tree to search for our families. Ella had safely led them away into the woods, were they weren't even affected. Soon we were on our way home. Max stared at the floor the whole time. It was like I had more questions then answers.

But my respect for Max has grown a hundred percent. I know I couldn't face that so calmly if it had also happened to me when I was six! But seeing her cry so much today, it was hard. But she seemed happier after it was over, still upset, but happier. But tomorrow was her mother's funeral. You can only be so happy when your reminded that your only other big event for the week was your mother's funeral. Well, I don't know what to expect tomorrow. A lot of crying.

**-line-**

**me: And CHAPTER!**

**Angel: ...Weird chapter...**

**me: It keeps me from winging it...plus it got Fang knowing Max has more dark secrets!**

**Total: So, who can guess who Max's real mom is?**

**me: I know who you all are thinking about, and no. So REVIEW!**


	6. The Funeral Only Gets Worse

**me: Here's the sad chapter!**

**Angel: They're all sad chapters.**

**Total: This is a sad fanfic!**

**me: Well, after this chapter the happy is back, okay? And friendship, or, in a way, a little Fax, sparks between Max and Fang after this one.**

**Angel: It's either friendship or Fax. Choose one.**

**me: Friendship. Fax later on. Oh, and listen to this review from Oh. Glory-Genius:**

What if Jeb is her father AND mother. that woudl be creepy.

**me: Thank you, Oh. Glory-Genius! That made a whole day worth of traveling end with a good laugh. I definitely needed that! Awesome review!**

**Total: Why not Tkila? Or maybe that would be Aotal.**

**me: ...What?**

**Total: Total and Akila!**

**me: ...That'd just be weird. Anyway, enjoy!**

**-line-**

I looked in the mirror, but the boy staring back was not me. A tux. Yes, full out black tux, with white shirt under it and bow tie. The bow tie was just, well, black. The pants matched, with a crease in front of and behind the leg. Nudge was the only one who stopped me from getting brown shoes with it, apparently it would 'clash' so just black shoes like any man would wear to a funeral. **(Fang's tux on profile EXCLUDING shoes)**

All the girls wore plain black dresses you could find everywhere, and the boys, well, they had tuxedos like mine.

When I got downstairs, Mom was in the bathroom putting on waterproof mascara, since she was already almost crying. Nudge, of course, wanted mascara and makeup too, since this was a special occasion, and she insist on wearing makeup to special occasions. Only time Mom would let her.

Max and her sisters came over just before I left. I silently gasped at Max's dress. It had straps about three fingers long, low-cut with a tie below the breast. The tie met with a small silver rectangle and drap-like fabric went from the rectangle down to the end of the full ankle-length skirt. She had open-toes shoes the gleamed a purple-ish brown. Colors shouldn't work, but they did. **(dress on profile) **Ella and Kara wore smaller sizes of the same dress. Well, they wouldn't get lost. 'Have you seen a girl about this tall wearing the same dress as me?'

Max smiled. I tried to return the smile, more like a half smile, really. Mom walked out of the bathroom, still putting on blush. She pursed her lips. "Max," she said. "How are you doing?" She snapped the makeup closed with a _pop!_

"Good as I can be," Max replied. She looked away.

Mom nodded. "I'm very sorry, Max. I remember when . . .." She never finished her sentence. I didn't and couldn't blame her. None of us really liked talking about Mr. Griffiths, at all. Not even Angel, and she hardly remembered him. And Mom's due date was getting close...

We all loaded in the car. Max was quiet the whole time, staring out the window. What could I say? I remembered when Mr. Griffiths passed, I just wanted to be alone. If I wanted someone, I would come to them. But Max just needed time.

We arrived at the funeral home when there were just a few cars. The Martinez's have only been here two weeks, but the fire department where Ms. Martinez worked resurved the funeral home for her ceremony.

The casket wasn't even there when we arrived. We just sat in the auditorium in awkward silence until the first few guests arrived. But as soon as the casket came, Max stood up and walked out, wiping a tear from her eye. The door slammed before I got up to follow her.

I found her in the refreshments room, a cup of water in front of her. A napkin was on the table, her eyes red from crying. "Max?" I said.

She looked up. "Hey, Fang," she said. I sat down next to her. "If it was anyone else I'd kick them in the leg."

I chuckled. "You okay?" Dumbest question of the century.

She nodded. "Fang, how did Mr. Griffiths die?"

"Hit by a bus," I said. Max gave me a weird look. "Really, he did."

"It's just all happened so fast. I never thought that -"

"Maxie?" someone said from the doorway. Max looked up.

"Dad!" she exclaimed, jumping up and running towards her father. I turned. There was the man from the pictures, but he had on one of those orange criminal jumpsuits and two police guards behind him. He held Max in a tight hug.

He kissed her hair. "I've already seen your sisters."

"He almost didn't come," said the guard on the left. "But he was so upset about not seeing you, Max."

"Who's your friend?" Jeb asked, seeing me.

"Oh. This is Fang," she said. "His family has been helping us since...it happened."

Jeb walked over to me and held out his hand, which was surprisingly clean. I'm not saying people from prison are gross, but whenever I pictured Jeb I pictured him dirty, for some reason. His guards followed him. "Hey, Fang. Thank you for taking care of my favorite girls."

I shook his hand. "No problem, sir." _I'll always take care of Max,_I thought. I quickly shoved the thought out of my head. "But we wouldn't get anywhere without my mom, or, adopted Mom, actually. She's a great woman." I wasn't so sure I was talking about Mom...STOP IT, FANG!

"You're adopted?" I nodded. "Well, you got in a great family, Fang. Val has told me about your family. Five kids with one on the way and she's single?"

"Widowed. My father was hit by a bus soon after she found out she was having a second."

"Second?" he repeated, as if it was unbelievable. "So four of you are adopted?"

Naw dip, Sherlock. But I put on a smile, since I might one day have to get his permission to pro - I'm stopping now. "Yes. My, Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel. Strange names, I know. Gazzy and Angel are really siblings. We were going to adopt just Angel, but she wouldn't leave Gazzy."

Max rested her head on Jeb's shoulder. "I think it's almost time to start."

Jeb looked at his watch. "It is."

We walked up to the auditorium. I was about halfway up the aisle when I noticed my family was in the back. They waved me forward. Jeb sat on the row behind us as we got on the first, Max's sisters attacking her in sobs as soon as she sat down. I sat beside Max.

A man in a black suit stepped up to the podium. "I would say good morning, but no morning is good when you have to morn such an amazing woman." Someone from the crowd said 'Amen!' "I was one of Val's friends at work. They only thought it fit that I speak at her funeral. She had so many pictures of her beautiful daughters. So many stories. Val was my best friend and an amazing and brave woman. She never held back from a fire. If someone was still inside, she was the first one towards the house.

"But I think someone else more deserves to speak at this funeral. Her own daughter, Max."

Max's jaw dropped as everyone applauded her on. She stepped up to the podium.

She cleared her throat. "I didn't know I was speaking today. I didn't have anything prepared. But I see some of my friends from Mesa. I've seen some of you walking down the streets. I've heard my mom talk about all of you. But even if we don't know each other, have have one very important thing in common. Everyone does." Wow. She sounded professional! If she hadn't mentioned she didn't have a speech ready, I would have thought she would have spent hours on it.

"Look around, all of you. We all have people that support us during tragedies like this. If it's death, divorce, broken heart, anything. Parents, siblings, cousins, friends, children, grandparents, and others family members. And if none of them, God is always there to carry some of your load." Someone said 'Amen!' from the audience. "Someone is there to support you through thick and thin. The true friend will stick with you through thick. Or thin, whichever one's bad. For me, my sisters, my father, and great friends I've made here.

"I know some of you lost friends and family in the shooting yesterday." She waited as a woman burst into tears and was led out by her husband. "But there are people around that will help you through this. I almost got myself and one of the Griffiths boys" - she shot me a look - "killed. I had...been through it one before." She looked at Jeb. "Yes, Dad. Them. And Fang could've - _should've _left me. But he didn't. I know I have good friends. and so do you. Thank you."

I don't know what happened after that. Max sat down and hugged her sister, the man in back stepped back up. Then Max stared to cry.

Great. I have no clue what to do here. The only girl I've every had to comfort was Angel when she was five. Maybe I could mimic those guys in those movies Nudge makes us watch: arm around the shoulders. And that's what I did. Max laid her head on my shoulder and my heart skipped a beat.

I'm a teenage boy. I'm weak when it comes to girls. Don't judge me.

By the end of the ceremony, my jacket sleeve was a shade darker with Max's tears, which I didn't think was possible. The shade darker, not Max crying. If Max and her sisters hadn't been wearing water-proof mascara, they would have looked like cheetahs, even after they washed it off.

Jeb took me by the arm and took me downstairs, alone. He even convinced his security guards not to follow. My first thought was that I was about to be kidnapped, but that Jeb would never do that to Max, and I was in trouble. For comforting Max? Way to suck up to the boss, Fang.

But he _smiled._ "Fang I really want to thank you for taking care of my girls."

"Like I said, no problem, any time, hakuna matata, no sweat, I can't think of any more."

"Cool beans," he said. "Gnarly, groovy, off the hook, butter."** (A/N I saw that on the Tony Hawk's Big Spin ride at St. Louis Six Flags. It has all these time facts about Tony Hawk for you to read, and it the bottom of every one it says 'What do you say?' and I saw all those on them.)**

I blinked.

He cleared his throat. "Point is, Fang, I can't bear to tell Max, but this time, I'm on a murder trial."

My eyes widened. Jeb MURDERED someone? I backed into a wall. His hands still had blood-red evidence. No wonder he had guards around why did they let us come down here alone? Without protection? Would he strike again? My palms were sweaty and my heart beat out of my chest just thinking about it.

"I'm not gonna hurt you, Fang."

"That's what they all say."

"Look." He showed me his hands and pockets. "Nothing. I just want you to tell her I only have a few months until the death sentence."

"She'll be mad. That you didn't tell her yourself. And that this was the last time she will see you and she doesn't even know it. Cause I'm not telling her at her mother's funeral. You can understand that, right, dude? We hate seeing chicks cry."

Did he frown a little when I called his daughter a 'chick'? Why did it matter?

"I know. And I don't have the heart to tell her right now. But I will see her again next month. Give her this." He held out an envelope that said in neat writing, MAX. I slowly took it. I had a strange feeling it was bout to blow up in my face. "Tell her I love her."

"I will."

He smiled again. "Thank you, Fang. You're a great kid."

I stuck the envelope in my tux pocket. My family was waiting for me up the stairs. Jeb kissed Max and her sisters goodbye and left with his guards, us following soon after. The way home was a quiet one, for once.

That night the letter lay by my bed, keeping me awake. Stuffing it out of sight didn't help. I was tempted to open it, but decided not to.

**-line-**

**me: This chapter was deep.**

**Angel: She wrote this whole thing on paper. Wrote one half, loaded it on, threw it away, then wrote the other half.**

**Total: And she'll probably throw it away.**

**me: Yeah. And if you read my story Max's Journal, I would have had the chapter up sooner, was I was going to write it on the way home from Six Flags on Saturday but I lost my pin. And so I asked M for one.**

**Angel: She had one and asked if MRA was writing in her diary.**

**Total: That was funny by itself. But she said it was chapter 21, and M tried to look over her shoulder, and saw it was in Greek.**

**me: English words. Greek letters. So M was totally amazed by that, and was was R, and the other M, so then the whole bus kept asking me what words looked like in Greek letters. So I only got to where they arrive at Mary Lou's. Sorry!**

**Total: My turn! You didn't let me last chapter! REVIEW!**


	7. RedHeaded Woman

**me: Wow, Oh. Glory-Genius. You rock. I didn't even realize how funny that sounded when I wrote that.**

**Angel: Don't worry. We all three say the most randomist comments.**

**Total: Why don't they make pineapple flavored rawhide bones?**

**Angel: MRA has meat-flavored for her dogs.**

**me: In the garage. Watch out for Mom and Dad. Don't zap out wings.**

**Total: YAY!**

**me: ...Okay? Anyhoo - enjoy!**

**-line-**

"FANG!" Angel yelled over my bed. My eyes snapped open and I sat up so fast my forehead slammed hard against hers. I nearly fell on the floor. "Ow!"

"Sorry. What is it?" I glanced at my bedside clock. 3:30 A.M. I groaned inwardly.

"Mom! She keeps...screaming in her sleep! Something's wrong, Fang, very wrong!" She sounded frantic. Angel+sounding frantic=bad. Angel must have had nightmares. That's the only time Mom lets her sleep with her. Mom probably had -

"Probably just a nightmare." My words move faster than my mind. Especially at three o'clock in the morning. But I threw my legs over the side of the bed and stretched. I followed Angel down the hall towards Mom's room, and I heard nothing. Angel was probably bluffing. Mom was probably just moaning or something.

But about halfway down the hall I heard a shriek. I jumped ten feet in the air. "Fang!" Mom yelled. "Iggy! Nudge!" I burst through the door as soon as she said 'Nudge.' Mom grabbed my hand and squeezed it so tight I could see it turning purple. "It's time, Fang!" She screamed again. Every idiot knows what 'it's time' is.

"This is going to be one premature baby, Mom." I looked at Angel. "Wake up Iggy. Tell him I said to call Daniel Ferguson. He'll know what I'm talking about." Angel nodded and ran off toward Iggy's room. I helped Mom up and led her to the kitchen. I opened the refrigerator door and gave her a bottle of water and grabbed a stopwatch.

Iggy stumbled in. "Daniel's on his way. How far in between?"

I shrugged. "FANG!" Mom cried. I pressed start on the stopwatch. I took out the bag from under the table - that Mom checks everyday for this exact moment - and filled it with water bottles as I dialed Max's number. It took a few seconds for her to pick up.

"Hello?" she said slowly.

"It's Fang. We've reached an...early situation."

"Apparently. Can this wait till morning?"

"No. Mom's having -" I heard Mom groan/scream my name. "Three minutes, Mom! You're doing good! Now Max -" I was cut off by the line going dead. Great. We had went over what to do, like, one time. No one thought it would happen so soon. Way to go, Fang. You're a genius. I have _got_ to stop talking to myself in third person.

Nudge, Angel, and Gazzy jumped down the steps. I was surprised the whole block wasn't awake.

Max came through the door, Ella and Kara behind her. I sighed with relief. They were still in their pajamas, like us. Well, most of us, I sleep in my clothes. They just had on light jackets, since it was going to reach low forty degrees this morning before sunrise. Max took a rag from under the counter and wet it with cold water. She laid it on Mom's forehead.

Mom grabbed mine and Iggy's hands and squeezed them so hard both of our knees locked. I knew what Max was thinking, _weakling._

"Mom," Iggy groaned. "Circulation..."

"Sorry." Her grip loosened. Headlights poured through the windows.

"Daniel is here, Mom," Iggy said. "We're going to get you to the hospital, I promise." He helped her to Daniel's car while I grabbed the bag and the stopwatch and followed the younger kids and Martinez's out.

Upside: Daniel has an SUV. Downside: SUVs usually hold seven. We have ten. Upside: We were all pressed together. Downside: Max wasn't sitting beside me. Which made the second upside a downside. And I was sitting between Mom and Nudge, who both have the power to bust eardrums.

When we got to the hospital, my hand was purple, even after Mom let go. She was immediately wheeled to her own room with Daniel, which was strange. I think they're close to dating. He's probably leave when she starts having the baby. The rest of us sat in the lobby.

Angel and Nudge poured over fashion magazines. Iggy and Gazzy were trying to break the 'all-time record' in thumb wrestling. Ella had taken Kara out for a walk. Which left me and Max sitting in the surprisingly comfortable lobby chairs in awkward silence.

Then I felt like led had been dropped on my shoulders. Jeb. The letter. This would be my only time.

"Max?" I asked. She turned her head. She had been watching Gazzy's happy dance for his five-in-a-row win against Iggy. "I really need to talk to you." I looked nervously at Angel and Nudge, who were watching us, hiding their grins with June J-14 issues. "Alone." Nudge giggled.

She frowned but stood up, letting me lead her outside and to the side of the hospital, which is actually a longer walk then you'd think. Finally, our only company was the light traffic of late-night travelers on the highway, who didn't give a flip about us.

"Max, I don't know how much this says, but it's from your father." I pulled out the envelope from my pocket - I don't even remember putting it there - and gave it to her. She frowned, taking the letter, but didn't open it. She just continued to give me a rock-hard glare. "He said he'll see you next month. And he said -" I couldn't go on. My voice stopped in my throat.

Max waited. "It's okay, Fang. Tell me. I can take it."

_Yeah, you think that now,_ I thought. I cleared my throat and opened my mouth, letting it spill out.

"You father is getting the death sentence in a few months."

Her face fell. Her mouth opened like she was going to say something, but she didn't. Her eyes widened and tears threatened to pour over. She stood there in shock. Slowly she moved her lips to form words. "But, you don't mean -"

"Yes. They're going to -" I couldn't bring myself to say _kill your father._

She shook her head as tears ran down her cheeks. "No. No! You're lying. Telling lies! You're LYING FANG!" She yelled so loud car windows rolled down and heads popped out. She turned and ran for the back of the hospital.

I watched her go until she was out of sight. Then I walked to the nearest bench and sat down, my elbows on my knees, my forehead on my palms. I wasn't cold, but I was trembling. Max... Max... she ... I just added to the pain in her life.

Her mother died, leaving her with the weight of her sisters' fates on her shoulders. Her father was thrown in prison for being protective. Her mother, real mother, had hurt her physically. She had a horrible, abusive boyfriend that was behind bars, but there wasn't an official break up between them, or was there? Her worst memories from the past were faced when she was inches from her own death... And I made it all worse.

I wanted to scream, cry, destroy. I wanted to find whoever caused the fire that killed Mrs. M and rip them to shreds, because I had a gut feeling - more then a gut feeling, I knew - that the fire was not an accident. And who caused Jeb to go to prison - wait, Jeb already killed them. Then I'd kill the officer that arrested him. The judge that caused the death sentence. The doctor or officer that would go through with the murder Jeb didn't deserve!

I wanted to find everyone who had ever caused Max and her sisters pain and hurt them. Sam. Max's real mother. I'd kill them both.

What was happening to me? I was thirsty for murder - this wasn't me! I held myself to the bench. Deep breaths. Deep breaths... I yelled out in frustration. Every part of me said to stand and kill, but my heart said no, stay and wait. I forced my brain to listen to my heart.

Slowly I dared to look up. I felt my forehead sweat under my hands. Ella and Kara stood there, watching me carefully. "W-what is it?" Ella asked. "You kept muttering things."

"Ask your sister." Ella and Kara exchanged giggling looks. I knew what they were thinking, that she had rejected me. In a way, she did. I shook my head. "Come on, girls, we better head on in." I stood up and started walking back to the hospital. They followed closely behind.

Daniel was sitting there when we walked in. He smiled at us. "You're mom's doing good, Fang," he said quietly. "She'll be fine. Where's Max?"

I forced my shoulders to shrug casually. "I don't know. She ran away when I told her...about...well, when I gave her the letter." Angel and Nudge exchanged smiles with Ella and Kara. I groaned and rolled my eyes, slumping into the chair beside Iggy.

It was pouring rain outside before Max came in. She was sopping wet, and the only sign she had been crying was that her eyes were red. Thunder boomed. Lightning shook the lobby. She looked right at me. "F -" she stopped, not wanted to say my name. She looked away and shook her head.

I felt guilty. Well, at least the murder streak feeling passed and no one was hurt...yet.

Cause that's when the doors slid open.

That's then Max threw herself over the chair to hide.

That's then the red-head woman glared at us with hate.

**-line-**

**me: Can you guess who it is? She was in the books. I just didn't know how to describe her since JP kept changing her.**

**Angel: You did good!**

**Total: *chews on meat bone* So is there going to be bloodshed?**

**me: I told you it's rated T!**

**Angel: My turn!**

**me: Go!**

**Angel: REVIEW!**

**Total: Or the red-head woman will come for YOU!**


	8. Maddy Claire Joyce

**me: *grin* Who was the redheaded woman?**

**Angel: I know! She's -**

**me: *covers Angel's mouth* Not today, Squirt.**

**Total: *chews on bone***

**me: Total, you've already emptied a full bag. No more for you.**

**Total: *whimper***

**Angel: Story?**

**me: Enjoy!**

**-line-**

The woman was in her late thirties, with eyes like daggers. Max trembled under the chair, and her sisters hugged each other, shaking. Kara looked at me over Ella's shoulder. Her expression's message was clear: _Help me._

She walked to the back of the chair and stared down at Max. Then she looked at everyone individually, except Max and her sisters, with a look that would have made professional wrestler cry for their mommies. "You. Leave."

Iggy led the three younger ones out, expecting me to follow along, but I kept my seat. Kara's eyes widened and a little smile crept to her lips. The woman glared at me. "What did I tell you? Leave. This doesn't concern you, only them."

"I promised Jeb I wouldn't let anything happen to them, that I'd treat them like my own sisters. I wouldn't leave a sister now. And I'm not going to leave them. I plan on keeping my promise to Jeb." I stood up and looked the woman right in her evil eye.

"Jeb," she scoffed. "Don't even mention him around me." She looked down at Max, who hadn't moved. "Maximum! Up!"

Max slowly stood up, flashing me a worried look. "What do you want now, Brigid?"

"I am your mother! I'm not Brigid to you! You're _real_ mother, not that idiot Martinez."

Max's face turned red with anger. "Don't talk about Mom that way! Or Dad! You may be my mother, but you will never be a Mom to me. Never. My mom passed. She's not here anymore." She stared at Brigid with a rock-hard glare.

Brigid raised an eyebrow. "Did you just talk to _me_ like that? I know you didn't."

"I did."

Her eyes narrowed and she slapped Max with her fingernails and racked them down her face. Max's cheek was right red with fresh blood. Hopefully Carlise isn't here, **(A/N is that how you spell his name? I think so) **even he would be set off. Brigid armed back for a punch. I swiftly stepped between them and caught Brigid's fist.

"I'd advise you to move, boy," she hissed.

"And I'd advise you to get out of here while you still have a little life left."

When Brigid didn't move I kicked her in the stomach, sending her flying back into the wall. She hit her head on the wall and went into unconsciousness, blood trickling from her mouth. Two doctors came over to take her to a room, while a nurse tended to Max's cheek.

Kara grabbed my leg and Ella hugged me above the waist. Max looked over and laughed at the kids attached to me.

I waited until the doctors and nurse was gone before cornering Max. "Why does you mother hate you?"

She shrugged. "Brigid is just weird like that. I can never call her Mom."

"I don't blame you. If my mom was like that I wouldn't either."

Max hugged her knees. "Sam's trial released him. He'll be back." She took a deep breath and looked away. So I took it they didn't have in official break up. I didn't understand that. I would never treat my girlfriend like that. And if I did I hope she would break up with me, not take it and be scared of me all the time.

"Why don't you break up with that jerk? He treats you like dirt. You deserve a guy who will treat you like a princess." I didn't mean to say that. I was thinking it and, like I said before, my mouth moves faster then my mind. It's a curse.

"I've tried," she said, not looking at me. "But he's very...demanding." I raised my eyebrows. "Not like that! He just thinks he commands our relationship. I didn't even want to go out with him in the first place. He didn't give me a choice."

"They have ways to deal with things like that. Restraining orders."

"I don't want to go through that much trouble. He's okay. Really."

"No he's not. I saw what he did to you at the talent show. You have to stand up to him."

She shook her head. "I can't. He'll break my back."

"If he does, I'll get him. You don't have to take this, Max. And I'm not going to let you."

She turned her head and smiled. "Thank you, Fang. For everything." She reached up and kissed my cheek before joining her sisters. Electricity shot through me at her touch. I stood up quickly and left to find Iggy and the kids.

Two and a half hours later a nurse came in. "Griffiths? Oh, it doesn't matter. All of you come on back."

We stood up and followed the woman to Mom's room on the next floor. She slowly opened the door, and we saw Mom, cuddling something in a pink blanket. Iggy and Daniel nelt beside her. "Her name is Maddy Claire Joyce," Mom said, smiling at all of us.

She handed Maddy Clair to Iggy. The little girl had a full head of damp strawberry blond hair and deep blue eyes Iggy smiled down at his baby sister.** (A/N In this story they didn't go to the School. So Iggy has sight and can see Maddy Claire.)** "She's so small."

"She's premature, Iggy," Mom said. "By a month. You weren't that small when you were born, trust me."

Iggy gave her to me, not taking her eyes off of her. Maddy Claire Joyce Griffiths. She was so small. I'd never seen a baby less then six months old. But less then a day, wow. How can life live in something this small? It's a miracle, definitely. Her eyes would open from time to time, taking in her new surroundings.

"She's beautiful, Mrs. Griffiths," Max said. Maddy Claire's eyes turned a little bit towards her, but then she went back to looking from Iggy to me, as if trying to see who she likes better. Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel crowded around me, trying to see her. I bent my knees for them to get a better look.

Max held out her hands to hold her. I gently put Maddy Claire in her hands. She smiled down at the little girl like I hadn't seen her in days. Even since her mother died, anyway. Kara and Ella pushed against each other to see, and Iggy just kept watching his sister with a grin. If she wasn't his blood sister, I would have thought he imprinted on her like Jacob did with Renesmee.

A nurse stepped up. "I'm sorry, but I need to take her for tests," she said with a smile, the same nurse that had tended Max's cheek. You could still see bright red claw marks, but the blood had stopped. Max slowly handed Maddy Claire to the nurse.

"Mom," Iggy said when the nurse was gone. "Maddy Claire has Dad's eyes."

Mom wiped her eyes. "I know. That was one of the first things I noticed. You have your father's ears and nose, Iggy."

All of the adopted Griffiths kids turned to look at Iggy. He did. It's amazing we had never noticed it before. Now I'll be reminded of Dad every day. I thought about him every day, but I'd never seen him in his child. Now, I'll see it every time I think or look at Iggy.

Max smiled and put her hand on Kara's shoulder. "I remember a little bit of when Kara was born. Mom and Dad weren't married yet."

Angel hugged Gazzy. They were the only real siblings, other then Iggy and Maddy Claire. "I wish I knew our real mom, Gazzy," Angel whispered. She put her face on Gazzy's shoulder. Gazzy reached up and stroked his sister's hair. He bend down and whispered in her ear.

Maddy Claire would be in the hospital for another month, until her natural due date to make sure there were no complications prier to premature babies. And Mom would stay with Maddy Claire until she was released, but coming home every other weekend.

So we were on our own. Me and Iggy in charge, and summer was just around the corner. Half a week. We were even considering tomorrow be our last school day, and get two more days of summer than everyone else. Us and the Martinez kids, extra time off for summer.

We went back home hours later. We would have to walk everywhere now, or ride bikes. At least school was close enough, for us to walk. And the store was only a block away. We should be alright. We walked back to the houses, promising to get together tomorrow.

I don't know what the Martinez kids did when they got home, but we all brushed our teeth and went straight to bed. It was about one o'clock when we got home, no one even bothered to change clothes. We were knocked out as soon as we hit the beds.

**-line-**

**me: So there's the chapter.**

**Angel: Brigid is Max's mom. Who would have thought.**

**Total: They're ignoring me.**

**me: I know, Angel! I told you you'd never get Max's real mom! But most of you got who is was right. Just not why Max hid. So REVIEW!**


	9. The Park

**me: Brigid is Max's mom! I had to make her a little older, or else she would have had a kid when she was like, ten or eleven, so...**

**Total: Why is Brigid so mean?**

**Angel: *giggles* THAT would be awkward to tell your parents.**

**me: Yes it would. I'm sorry if I call Maddy Claire Maddy Grace. My friend has a neice named Maddy Grace, and the names are so close.**

**Angel: She wrote the chapter before she remembered her neice's name.**

**me: Yeah. So enjoy!**

**-line-**

A week later, Mom was still with Maddy Claire. We had been over one or twice to see her. She was growing fast, and was very healthy for a premature baby, the nurse said. We and the Martinez kids were together every day, and every day I grew more and more attached to Max. We hadn't seen Sam, thank goodness, but that doesn't mean we won't.

So Iggy was gone to see his little sister, and Max and I had the kids. We went to the park. I walked back to the bench were Max and I were sitting, two ice cream cones in my hands. I gave one to her. "You told me you liked strawberry."

Max smiled. "Thanks." She licked it and watched Kara and Angel climb on the monkey bars. "Dad's going to die soon. It's all my fault."

"Why do you blame yourself for everything? You're not responsible for wars, or global warming, or starvation, or anything."

"We're all reponsible for global warming and starvation. But I'm reponsible for Dad murdering someone, and Mom becoming a firefighter, and moving here."

"The fires aren't any less dangerous than the ones back in Mesa." Plus, if Max's hadn't made them move here, I would have never met her. I don't know what I did before she came along, and it's only been two weeks. "It isn't your fault."

She wiped a tear from her cheek. She chuckled. "I was so scared this would happen. I even moved here because she was almost killed in a fire. That's why she's always sleep both days instead of one, because she couldn't sleep for two weeks before we came here. She was in too much pain to sleep. Can you believe I was responsible for that too?"

I kept my mouth from dropping open. "I get how you got them to move here, and, well, I don't get how you got your dad to commit murder, but I really don't get how you were responsible for that fire. You're mom had to have given you pretty good 101 on fire safety, surely you wouldn't have lit a fire."

"I didn't light it. I wasn't anywhere near the house when it went up in flames. But it was my fault."

"Max -"

"Fang, please!" She looked like she was about to burst into tears. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Don't make me talk about this!" She closed her nose and pursed her lips to stop a cry. I felt so bad about this, I always bugged her to talk about what she couldn't.

"I won't make you. But if you ever want to, I'm here." She didn't move. I sat back and watched the kids. The sun was in my eyes, but I didn't care. If I went blind I wouldn't see Max upset again. I pressed my tongue against the back of my teeth to keep from yelling.

Then my eyes fell on someone I really hated seeing. Sam. My eyes narrowed as I stood up from the bench and walked quickly to Sam. "Get out of here," I hissed when I was close enough.

He was obviously drunk. He couldn't stand or walk straight, and his head bobbed around. "You're not da bosss of mehh."

"But I can make you wish you were never born." This goof had hurt Max. And I'd hurt him. It felt like a twenty pound weight dropped on me when I realized that I hurt her. I wanted to punch myself in the face. I even had to hold down my hand to stop myself.

"You wissh. I'll make you ssorry." He swung a groggy punch that I easily dodged. I knew that drunk people could really fight, and something told me that he was just getting warmed up. I did _not_ want to make this guy mad, or madder. But if I worked fast...

In a blink of an eye, I had him against a tree, his hands against the bark, my legs far enough away that he couldn't kick me. I could have already killed him, but I didn't want to end up like Jeb, and make Max even more upset. "Whatt are you waitingg for?" he slurred. "Aren't you gonna kill mehh?"

"I would, but I'm not a murderer. I'll let you live, for now. But you hurt Max again, and I will, I promise you." I shoved him aside, making him fall to the ground. He stood up, shot me a look, and walked away cursing. I'd wait until he was sober to fight him. I watched him until he was out of sight and turned around.

Max stood there with red-rimmed eyes. I opened my mouth to say something, but she beat me to it. "Don't be a murderer, Fang."

"I wasn't planning on it."

She shook her head and watched the direction Sam ran. "I hope he won't be back. Thank you, Fang." She smiled.

I was going to hug her, but she turned and walked away before I could. Well, at least she wasn't crying anymore.

I bit my tongue. "FANG!" Angel yelled, jumping on my back, making me bite it."

"Ow!" I looked over my shoulder at her. "Yeah?"

"Horsie ride to the swings?" she asked. I looked at tthe swings, at the other side of the park. Nudge sat in a swing, Ella in another, leaving an open seat in the middle. They waved.

"Fine, hold on." She grinned and wrapped her arms around my neck, locking her hands. I walked over to the swings, her giggling behind me. "Okay, Cowgirl," I said when we were at the swings. "Horsie's tired." I pretended to buck her off, making her squeal with laughter. She slid off my back.

**-line-**

**me: Sorry about Sam showing up.**

**Angel: *smirks***

**me: What?**

**Total: MPH!**

**me: Yeah! We taped Total's mouth. He wouldn't stop saying I LIVE!**

**Angel: Ah, the sweet powers of duct tape.**

**me: Tell me about it. REVIEW!**


	10. You Can't Trust my Mother

**me: This chapter is set three weeks later.**

**Angel: Yep. And Max -**

**me: *sighs and covers Angel's mouth***

**Total: MPH?**

**me: Enjoy!**

**-line-**

"Mom and Maddy Claire are coming home in a few days," Iggy said, shooting a half grin.

"Good," I said. The last weeks have been, well, boring. Sure we've been spending all day every day with the Martinez's, but Max and I haven't really talked since I threatened Sam. It was killing me. "Mom still needs to make finishing touches on MC's nursery."

"MC? At least call her May or Maddy."

"Fine. On May's room. And -" I was interrupted by a knock on the door. I stood up and swung it open. Jeb, with his orange jumpsuit and guards.

"Hey, Fang," he said. "Can you tell me where Maxlives? I know absolutely nothing about this town. It was lucky I found out where you lived."

I took a deep breath. "You know she's going to be really mad at you, right?" I didn't wait for him to answer. "Come on, she lives right next door." I stepped out the door and closed it behind me. I walked to her house, him and his guards right behind me.

Jeb knocked on the door. A minute later Max opened it. She stood there in shock for a minute, realizing it was Jeb, then she slammed the door. "Max?" Jeb asked, slowly knocking on the door. There was no answer behind the door.

"Max!" I called, pounding on the door. "Open up!"

Max opened the door a crack. "He's not coming in this house." She looked up at Jeb. "How could you not tell me? I had to hear it from Fang! I would have been much less upset if you had told me yourself! It was explained by a _letter!_ How could you?" She tried to slam the door again, but I stuck my foot in the door.

"Max, please let me explain!" Jeb begged. "It was Val's funeral! I couldn't tell you then!"

"It would have been better then hearing it from a LETTER!" Max screamed, trying to close the door without breaking my foot.

"I'm sorry! It was a mistake! Please, Max!"

"No!"

I put my arm on the door and slowly opened it far enough to slip in. The door slammed behind me and Max leaned against it, sliding to the floor. Jeb continued to knock and plea, but she didn't seem to notice. She crossed her arms and looked at me with a stern glare. "You can't make me let him in."

"I know I can't. But Max, he was just trying to spare your feelings, and the only was to do that was to give you the letter, through me."

"Spare my feelings? He failed! After I read that letter I ripped it to shreads and let the wind carry it away!"

I didn't say anything, just waited for her to calm down.

She took a deep breath. "Sorry, Fang. I'm not mad at you. I'd rather you have told me than Iggy or Gazzy." She pulled her knees up and hugged them to her chest, wrapping her arms around them and putting her forehead on her knee.

I sat down beside her. "You don't have to let him in, but at least talk to him. He's still your father. And this is his last visit.

"I hate it when you're right." She grumbled something I couldn't understand as we stood up. She slowly opened the door, but there was no one there. "Dad?" she asked, looking around. We saw a squad car drive around the curb at the end of the road. "He left."

My hand lifter to rest on her back, but I took it away at the last moment. She was still staring where the squad car had gone out of view. "I'm never going to see him again and I never got the chance to tell him I'm sorry." She turned to look at me. "Where's the poice department?"

"There are dozens around here. I have no clue which one he's in. But I'll help you find him."

She sighed and closed her eyes. I should have kissed her right then, but the time wasn't right, and she opened her eyes before I could. She looked at the setting sun and sighed. "I blew it. And I'll never see him again." My heartbeat quickened, for a second I thought she would start crying. But she didn't.

"It's almost dark," I said. "I'll help you find him tomorrow. But we won't get anywhere without daylight, and I need to get back to the house."

Max nodded. "I need to get dinner for Ella and Kara. Thank you, Fang." She smiled and walked past me into her house.

"Yeah," I said, even though she couldn't hear me. "Goodnight, Max." I turned to come back to my house and froze. Brigid. Standing there with her arms crossed over her chest. I swallowed hard. "Um...how's your head?" I asked. It didn't help with the awkwardness.

"Cut the chit-chat!" she yelled, stepping up to me. "And stop harassing my little girl!"

"What? I'm not harassing her! Her dad, he -"

Her eyes widened as she looked over her shoulder. "You're right, Fang. I'm sorry. You don't have to say anything else. See you tomorrow." She kissed me on the cheek and left.

I turned. Max stood there, biting her lip. "Have fun with Mom, Fang. Apparently you'd rather be with her then helping me find my father. You can't trust her, I thought you picked that up." She pushed past me and walked away.

"Max I -" She held up her hand and kept walking. No use. I leaned forward and grabbed my hair. WHY? That had to be Brigid's goal, to make her think I..what? What could she possibly gain from this? I walked back to my house, wondering what had just happened.

**-line-**

**me: And CHAPTER!**

**Angel: So...what happened.**

**me: Brigid was mad because together, she can't get to Max. Together.**

**Total: O_o Brigid is a geek.**

**Angel: More then a geek. A jerk.**

**me: Anyway, REVEIW!**


	11. Trust No One

**me: Aww, poor Maxie. This will be a short chapter**

**Angel: Does she find her father again?**

**me: Maybe... If she does, it will be in a later chapter.**

**Total: Why aren't I in the story?**

**me: You pop up in this chapter, Total. You know that.**

**Total: Oh yeah...**

**me: But you can't talk. Enjoy!**

**-line-**

"Fang, what's up, dude? You've been acting depressed all morning! Or, more depressed..." Gazzy said.

I took a deep breath. My dream freaked me out, about a date with Brigid, *shiver*. Look, there are some things you can never unsee, and that's one of them. Twisted and, well, wrong. Max totally got the wrong idea if she thinks that that will EVER happen.

"Gazzy, worry about yourself. And eat your oatmeal."

"We're eating eggs."

I shot him a look. I felt something brush against my leg and looked down. Total, Angel's dog, looking up pleading for some bacon. I shook my head. He frowned and walked off.

Angel called him and fed him a piece of her bacon. Iggy and I exchanged looks, but we didn't do anything.

Iggy's phone dinged, saying he got a text. He sighed, pressing the open button and read it. A huge grin appared on his face. "Maddy Claire and Mom will be home tomorrow!"

Eveyone cheered. Iggy put his phone back in his pocket. "Good, cause I can't manage this house like she does." He caught my look. "Or, we can't." Everyone murmured an agreement.

After breakfast I stood up and walked out the door without a word. I walked to Max's house and didn't bother knocking, just walked right in. Max and her sisters were sitting at the table, eating. She shot me a look and went back to listening to Ella's story.

"MAX!" I yelled. She jumped and stood up. She shoved me out the door and to the side of the house.

"What do you want?"

"You're mother, she...we didn't..." I took another deep breath. "You're mother accused me of harrassing you. I'm not, right?"

"Of course not! But you agreed to meet with my mother today. I heard that."

"No I didn't! She saw you and lied about that. Me and Brigid? Can you honestly see that?" Max shook her head. "Exactly. And, I'd never date you mother. Just...no. Never."

Max almost laughed. "A guy would have to be drugged to date my mother. But you didn't fight back. You let her kiss you."

"I was in shock, Max! Plus, it was on the cheek. On the lips, and I'd have something to say about it. So would my fist." I shook my head. "Don't you believe me? You said it yourself, never trust your mother. And do you honestly think I'd lie to you?"

She thought about it, kicking a rock with the toe of her sneaker. "You can't trust my mother, but right now, I don't trust you, either. I don't trust anyone! I don't even trust myself. And I keep thinking that there should be someone that I can, but I don't. Not since - Never mind."

My heart almost stopped beating when I realized what she was saying. "You may not be able to trust anyone else, but you can trust me, Max!"

She shook her head. "No. I can't trust anyone. Ever again." She turned to walk back to her house. She paused and turned back towards me. "I use to trust you, Fang. It's not your fault, don't think that. You couldn't have done anything to stop it, either."

What was happening? Max was...breaking up with me when we never went out? Whatever. I didn't care. All I cared about was that she didn't trust me.

I grabbed her shoulders and spun her around, kissing her full on the lips. I slowly pulled back and opened my eyes. She just watched me, expressionless. Well, at least she didn't punch me. She turned around and walked away. I didn't try to stop her.

She didn't fight back. So...what?

I stepped up to the side of her house and looked around it. Max walked to the sidewalk and out of sight.

Now, I'm not afraid to admit it.

"I'm in love with you, Max."

I said it. That wasn't as hard as I thought!

Then, where Max was headed, I heard an explosion and a puff of smoke.

"Max!" I called, running down the sidewalk.

**-line-**

**me: Oo!**

**Angel: Is Max dead?**

**Total: O_o**

**me: Oh! Today (the 27th, that's when I wrote the author's notes), I saw my first CROP CIRCLE! I mean, stood there looking at flattened crop, I've seen them over the Internet and stuff. I had to explain to my parents what it was, and Dad was so mad, said it was just as bad as thieving. It's destroying food, and you don't mess with Dad's food! Trust me, won't make that mistake again.**

**Angel: I guess it's up to me to say -**

**Total: REVIEW!**

**Angel: *glare***


	12. Max?

**me: What's gonna happen to Max? Will Fang find her alive? Will Mom and MC get home okay? Will Max's sisters be okay? Will I every stop asking 'W' questions?**

**Angel: *facepalm* You're such a dork, MRA!**

**me: What's your point?**

**Total: STOP!**

**me: ... Okay. Enjoy!**

**-line-**

My legs didn't carry me fast enough. My heart felt like it was about to bust out of my chest. I desperately started praying that she was okay.

I came to an area of the sidewalk with a circle in the middle of black soot. Where the bomb had exploded. But I didn't see Max anywhere. "Max!" I yelled, ripping the bushes apart. "Max!" I heard a light groan in the bushes across the street. I ran across, not caring about the cars that honked at me, and bent down beside the bushes.

"Fang...M -" she started. She looked like she'd been in a horror film. Black soot in her hair, face, and clothes, hair in tangles, clothes torn... I could tell she was barley conscious.

"Shh," I whispered. "We need to get you to the hospital."

"No!" she groaned. I ignored her and picked her up bridal style. She didn't have the energy to fight back, only to cry 'no!' which didn't have affect of me.

"Max, stop. You're okay. You're gonna be all right, and that's a promise."

Her fist rested on my arm. "But you -" Her head fell back, showing she had lost consciousness. Luckily, Daniel Ferguson was home, getting some snacks from Mom. I can't believe he actually stayed with her at the hospital for a month! Needless to say, he was more then happy to drive us to the hospital.

"So... what happened to you're friend?" Daniel asked.

"Did you hear that explosion just a minute ago?" Daniel nodded. "That's what happened. Max'll be okay, but she needs medical attention."

Daniel stuck the key in the ignition and cranked it. "So how's Maddy Claire and Mom?"

"Okay," he said. He pulled out of the driveway. "Maddy Claire is improving fast. And your mom hasn't had any conditions. They'll get out tomorrow, I texted Iggy."

I nodded. "That's what they said. It's been hard without Mom, we really need her."

Daniel took a deep breath. "Fang, I should be asking Iggy this, and this is probably the worst time, but I'm not going to see Iggy for a while. What do you think about... a new father?"

"New father? I think Mom needs adult company, and we could use extra hands for yard work, and extra money. Who'd you have in mind?"

"Well... I was planning on proposing to her in a few days. What do you think? Should I?" Huh. Daniel. He and my mom certainly get along, and he's a good guy. We could use him around the house. And Mom just had a baby, she doesn't need to take on six kids on her own. We all like Daniel too. There's no way this could backfire.

"I think... you would be a great addition to the family. But I hope you know what you're getting yourself into. There's never a dull moment in our house."

"Thank you, Fang. Look in the glove compartment, it's the engagement ring for your mother."

I opened up the glove compartment and took out a little red velvet box. I flipped it open with my thumb. It was a fine silver band, with one large diamond in the middle, and two smaller ones on the side. **(Pic on profile)** It was simple, but pretty.

"She'll love it, Dan -" I paused. "Dad."

Daniel smiled. "I'm glad you think so, Fang. It means a lot."

I smiled and sat back, resting my head against the headrest.

When we arrived at the hospital, Max was taken to her room. Daniel called me to sit on the couch beside him.

"You're mother won't know you're here," he said, fingering with paper. "Take this to Max's room with you. I'll bring her in, you say someone dropped this off for her." He taped a handwritten not to the belvet under the ring. It said '_I love you, G. Will you marry me?'_G? What was Mom's first name? He slid it in a pink bag and covered it in red and purple tissue paper. Valentine colors.

I took it with me to Max's room and sat it on a little table beside the bed. Max was still unconscious. Who caused that? Sam? Or...Brigid.

I sat on the edge of Max's bed. Her heart rate was steady, dropping at times, but maintained steady. If it wasn't for that moniter beside her bed beeping her heart rate, I would think she was dead. Just the thought of it...

Nothing happened for the next five minutes, no nurses or doctors came in, I just sat on the end of Max's bed, silent. Finally Daniel and Mom came in, and it was time to put on my happy face.

Mom grabbed me in a hug. "Fang! I'm so happy you're okay!" She kissed my forehead.

"I'm fine, Mom," I insisted. "I wasn't there when it...exploded. Max, on the other hand..."

Mom reached down and stoked Max's leg. "You did what you could, Fang. You got her to the hospital, probably just in time, too. Daniel told me everything."

I took the bag on the little table. "Mom, a nurse came in and broght this when I came in. She said to give it to you." I shrugged and shot a wink to Daniel when she looked down to take it. Daniel grinned and winked back.

Slowly Mom took out the tissue paper, shooting me a look as she pulled out the velvet box. She opened it and gasped. "W-who is this from?"

Daniel gently took it out of her hand and knelt to one knee. "Will you?"

Mom wiped a tear from her eye. A grin popped on her face as she nodded. Daniel slid the ring on her finger and hugged her, sharing their first kiss.

"Congrates Mr. and Mrs. F," Max murmured from the bed. My eyes flew over to her. She frowned at me. "Where am I?"

"What do you remember last?" I asked.

"I...I was walking down the sidewalk, and... now I'm here." She frowned and touched her face. "What's on my face?"

"You, um, exploded."

Max froze and looked at me with wide eyes. "I _what?"_

"Let me rephrase that. The sidewalk exploded. You were just on it."

"Well, as long as I'm alive..."

That's when I realized that Mom and Daniel weren't here. Great. "You are."

"Fang, about what I said earlier, about not trusting anyone -"

"It's okay. Really, I wouldn't trust me if I were you either. You almost got killed. And Brigid - I mean, your mom - ...no offence, but she's a wack job."

"None taken. And she's not my mom. She's my mother, but not my mom. She's a horrible person. Now you see why I told you not to trust her."

My eyes were probably bigger then my head. "Your mom did this? How do you know?"

Max sighed. "She promised she would kill me, like a month ago. You know, right before the whole Protectors thing... at the church."

The door opened. Sam. "I'm so happy your okay, Max," he said, reaching down to kiss Max. It made my blood boil even thinking about that jerk kissing Max. Seeing it was ten times worse. It took all my strength not to grab him by his jacket and slam him against the wall. "I don't know what I'd do if you were hurt." Am I the only one who remembers the talent show?

"I'm fine, Sam. But I might not be if Fang hadn't taken me to the hospital."

Sam looked over his shoulder at me, pursing his lips. He nodded. "Thanks." But I could see the hate in his eyes. "But I have to go. My aunt had a heart attack and I only had time for a quick drop in. See you later." He gave Max a quick kiss and left.

Well, one good thing came from Sam's visit.

He kissed Max, and she didn't kiss back.

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**me: *grin***

**Angel: Aww! Daniel and Mrs. G got engaged! Aww!**

**Total: Very...romancy chapter, MRA.**

**me: Do you have a problem with that? Thought not. REVIEW!**


	13. Is This Goodbye?

**me: Sorry it's been so long since I updated. I was in a fast pace in my story Max's Journel and having to update almost every two days, and my Internet recently crashed.**

**Angel: Stupid F2 button. That's what she accidently hit that crashed it. AVOID F2 BUTTON OR YOUR INTERNET GETS IT!**

**Total: Very true.**

**me: Anyway, enjoy!**

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Max was released from the hospital the next morning, her right leg and left arm in a cast. She was to use a crutch for her right leg, on her right arm. It's...confusing. We left with Daniel, Mom, and Maddy Claire, MC in a car seat, Daniel driving, Mom in the passenger seat. I was sat between MC and Max, and I pretty much had to take care of the baby. Mom and Daniel were discussing how Mom wanted an early wedding. Max just put her head back and relaxed.

"You feel okay?" I asked, waving a stuffed bear in front of Maddy. Mom and Daniel were so engrossed in their conversation they didn't even hear that Maddy started crying a little. Maddy took the bear and hugged it. I started rocking her car seat, best it would go, hoping she would fall asleep.

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine." She looked out the car window. "I'm just worrying about Ella and Kara."

"Don't," I said. "Iggy's taking care of them." That was a lie. But they probably came over to our house after Max didn't come back. I just said that so she wouldn't worry.

"I should have broke up with Sam last night."

I almost laughed. Exactly what I was thinking. "If he hurt you more then you already are..."

"You'd go through with your threat?"

"You know I would." Sam: = l. Sam after I punch him once: =0. Sam after I punch him twice: x_x. Simple math.

"Thanks Fang." She tried to smile. "Maybe there's someone I _can _trust."

"And who's that?"

"Dad." I glared at her. She laughed. "Kidding! You, you!"

I nodded. "Yeah, okay."

**-Angel POV- (I said no Max POV, not Griffiths' kid POV. Angel does not read minds, all human no flock powers)**

"Fang come back?" Gazzy asked, walking in in his pajamas and rubbing his eyes. He must have just woken up.

I shook my head. "And Iggy says he didn't take his cell phone, so there's no telling where he went." I exchanges looks with Nudge. Iggy had gone out looking for Fang, leaving Nudge in charge. That's either I great thing, or the worst thing that's ever happened to this family. I hope it's the first one.

Gazzy groaned.

**-Iggy POV-**

Two hours of walking over every sidewalk of suburb LA, and no sign of Fang. The Martinez's house was my first stop, thinking that maybe Max knew where he was, but Max wasn't there. Ella said she left at breakfast yesterday morning, with Fang, and hadn't come back.

"Iggy," Ella said. "My feet hurt. Can we please take a break?"

I stopped and put my hands on my knees. "I guess a little break won't hurt." I sat down on a sidewalk bench, the first break on this journey. "When I find Fang, I'll kill 'im."

"I don't get it! Max never goes anywhere without telling us." She sat down beside me. Kara leaned against her. "She won't just run off like this with no warning."

Ella put her arm around Kara. They had stayed the night with us, and probably lost hope since Max didn't' return this morning. "Maybe they're with Mom," I suggested. Ella glared at me.

**-Fang POV-**

I sighed. Mom and Daniel were fighting again. It's been three weeks since we've been home. Daniel moved in with us when we got here, and apparently these best friends never thought what it'd be like to live together. Max and I found Jeb's prison. His execution date is a week from now.

There's no point in worrying about these fights. Anger with the two of them lasts five minutes at the most. It's hardly made a mark on their relationship. They still love each other, and still are best friends. Every fight ends in an I love you and a kiss, then they're fine for the next few days.

But I realized something today, or, Max did. They have godparents. As soon as Jeb is killed, they move to New Jersy with Mrs. M's sister. Only one more week until Max leaves again. She was only here for almost two months, and...what?

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**me: ...So that's that.**

**Angel: Does that mean the story's almost over?**

**me: Maybe. I can't decide. What do you reviews think? Should this be the last chapter?**

**Total: This will be one short story.**

**me: Yeah, I know. Review?**


	14. I Told You Not to Be a Murderer

**me: 1,044 words WITHOUT the author's note! Yay! And no one wanted me to end this, so here's the next chapter!**

**Angel: Make sure that all of you with Facebooks add her as a friend!**

**me: I have a cover-up accout for you reviewers. My FAKE name is Grace Moses. Do not call me Grace. My email is fnick(dot)fwilliam at gmail(dot)com.**

**Total: Include your online name and what stories of MRA's you have reviewed. She'll send you a message asking you if you don't.**

**me: Add me! And enjoy the chapter!**

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I'll never get to know Max's secret. I'll never get to know what her 'dark past' is that she keeps hinting on. Tomorrow Jeb dies, and Max and her sisters are already packing for New Jersey. They've already got a plane booked for noon tomorrow to Denver.

We, our families, have been hanging out together more then ever. Max says she wants to take good memories with her to her 'Aunt' in New Jersey. But today probably ruined all those good memories, and filled it with one bad, unforgettable one.

The kids were playing in Max's yard. Mom and Daniel took Iggy to help with early wedding preperations. Ella and Nudge had Maddy, like they have almost ever since we've been home. Me and Max were sitting on the porch swing, slowly moving back and forth. Max reached out to rub her knee, quickly pulling it back. But I still saw it.

"Max, what happened?" I asked. I gently took her wrist and pushed up her shirt sleeve. A big, purple and blue bruise.

"Um...paintball." She jerked her wrist from me.

Well, paintball does hurt and leave huge bruises, but... "When did you play paintball?"

"Um...last week."

"No, it wouldn't be that new of a bruise. What - Sam. Was it Sam?"

She didn't reply, just looked at her shoes. It was Sam. He'd hurt her again. "Max, tell me next time you see him, where he is. Send me a text or something. I'll..."

"No. It's fine, Fang. Really, it is."

"Max, he's a strong guy. He's going to hurt you worse. It's not fine. It's just going to get worse. You need to put a stop to this."

"How? What do you expect me to do? I've tried everything! Nothing I do works! He follows me, like some pleague! I thought I got rid of him in Mesa but no, he pops up here. And he'll pop up in New Jersey. I can't get rid of him, no matter what I do!" She pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them.

"No, you haven't tried anything." My eyes flickered towards the woods. "Oh, look who decided to show up." I stood up and started down the porch steps. Max tried to stop me, but it didn't work. So all she could do was follow me. "I thought I told you to get out of here," I hissed at Sam.

"I thoughtt I told you to sstay away from my gorlfriend," he slurred. He had been drinking again. But even with his tough words, he took a step back. In a flash he turned and ran through the woods, me right on his heels. He was tripping over his own feet. The house was out of view before I caught him.

I didn't realize what I was doing. I just closed my eyes and I couldn't feel my arms. All I heard was a loud_ crack!_ and a low whimper. I slowly opened my eyes. Sam's eyes were open, not blinking, his neck broken. I collapsed to his side.

I could even hear Max's slow, silent steps walk up to me. "Max, I'm so, so sorry."

"You warned him. But I told you not to be a murderer. It will haunt you until you die, believe me." I frowned.

"How would you know?"

"I sorta - um...nevermind." Well, I hope the worst she's done is run over a cat on a four-wheeler.

"Anyway, maybe if we get out of here now we can avoid getting caught." I stood up and we slowly started walking back to the house.

Max waited until Sam's body was out of sight before talking. "I finally got rid of him," she whispered.

A thought hit me. Because now, _Max is single._ I shook it out of my head. "He won't hurt you anymore. Or follow you to Jersey."

"Ugh, don't remind me about Jersey."

"Why?"

"I don't want to leave. My uncle is in the military, so he's never home. And my aunt, well, early retirement. She smells like meatloaf and won't get off the couch. So it's like I have a fourth mouth to shove food into. It's pretty much the same as here, but I don't have friends to help me. But I have to go."

I thought a minute. "Maybe not. You said that your father killed someone to protect you, right?"

"Yes. But what does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, what was he trying to protect you from? Getting hurt?"

"Killed. But I don't see what -"

"There are laws, Max. About protection. If we can prove that he did it to protect you, they can't execute him."

She shrugged. "Maybe. But how can we prove that before noon tomorrow?"

"It's about nine-thirty. We have twenty six and a half hours. It's possible."

She sighed. "Fang, how do we plan to prove it? He's dead, it's not like we can make him confess. Anyway, that happened in Mesa. They just found him here."

"If he tried to kill you, it's probably not the first murder he's attempted. He probably has a criminal record. If you know his name, or even what he looks like, then we can find him. We'll just take a plane to Mesa later." I tried to send her a supportive smile. I didn't want her to leave, she didn't want to leave. You can't label this as selfish.

"His name is..." She swallowed. "Demaca Mosse. And he does have a criminal record. He murdered a five year old girl a month before Dad killed him." A tear ran down her cheek.

When we got back to Max's house, Mom, Daniel, and Iggy were back. And we were on our way to the airport to go to Mesa.

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**me: You know what's weird? Winter and MelRose520 voiced what they thought would happen in this chapter. Winter thought that the godparents would be total freaks, and MelRose thought they would prove Jeb's innicence. Which they did. And I had already wrote the chapter before they reviewed!**

**Angel: ...Mind readers.**

**me: They're not like you, Ang. They're all human.**

**Total: Good point.**

**me: Coming from the talking DOG! Review!**


	15. You're Our Witness

**me: This chapter was probably the hardest in the whole story so far to write.**

**Angel: You get to see a little of Max's past.**

**Total: Not much, but a little bit about her father's murderer.**

**me: Enjoy!**

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Max has been quiet the entire plane ride, she wouldn't even respond when I tried to talk to her. I'm getting worried. Well, it's probably one of her sad flashback moments. I'm starting to get used to them. Mom and Daniel have been calling every ten minutes to make sure we're on the right flight, and try to make sure we still have our luggage. Which was just two backpacks.

Mesa-Pheniox airport is huge, for all of you who don't know. And packed. Luckily, Max knew her way around, having taken off from this airport when her family moved to suburb LA. But it still took us a while to find our luggage.

"What's the first stop?" Max asked, pulling a map out of her backpack and unfolding it. We were standing outside the airport, watching traffic and cabbies go across the highway.

"The police station, I guess. Whichever one has criminal records."

"That would be all of them." She hailed a cab and we climbed inside. Max asked to go to the Mesa police force department. "It will be hard to find Demaca's report. There are probably over a hundred Mosse reports. And you have to find them by last name. Don't be surprised if we can't find him."

I took a deep breath. "Max, stop being pessimistic. I've found criminal records before. And through thousands. Hundreds should be a piece of cake. It's only noon, we still have twenty-four hours." Well, I think I made a pretty convincing argument. Even if it had been a lie, considering I've never stepped foot in a police department.

She shrugged. "Maybe. But I'm not being pessimistic. I'm going to prove Dad's innocence if it's the last thing I do."

"It might be. Just be prepared." I glanced down at Max's leg. She's moved from a crutch to a boot, and her arm is pretty much healed. She's going to get the cast off in a few weeks. We drove the rest of the way in silence, Max staring straight ahead in deep thought.

The Mesa police department was a little bit of a downer after seeing the whole city. It had dozens of cells inside it, and a whole other building of cells a few yards away. Max led me down the stone pathway in through the double front doors, where there sat a woman with shoulder length blond hair and bright blue eyes typing on a computer.

When Max didn't say anything, I cleared my throat. "Um, I'm Fang G -"

"Max!" she said. She stood up and hugged Max. "How's everything in LA?"

"Not so great, Mary. Remember my dad's... protective murder?" The woman, Mary, nodded. "They found him there. And they've given him the death sentence."

Mary gasped. "How could they? So your sisters will be living with your mom?"

Max shook her head. "Mom died about a month ago in the fire. We'll have to move to Jersey tomorrow."

"Oh, you'll be better off alone in LA then with your aunt! I'm so sorry, honey. I'd take you in, but I've got my niece and nephew and my sisters, and their husbands, my house is already overflowing." She gave Max another hug. "Call me if there's anything I can do."

"There is." Mary broke the hug and looked at Max, waiting for her answer. "We've come for the criminal records. Fang has decided to find Demaca's record and prove Dad's innocence."

For the first time, Mary noticed me. "Oh, hello. You must be Fang. Is this your boyfriend, Max? Did you get rid of Sam?"

Max took a deep breath. "Fang got rid of Sam for me, but we're just friends."

Mary nodded. "Well, nice to meet you, Fang. I'm MaryKay Lynn, me and Valencia were good friends. Come on back here and I'll see what I can do." We followed Mary behind the desk and watched as she went to a link on her desktop, typing in _Demaca Mosse_ and waited as about fifty reports popped up, for the entire state of Arazona. It was no hundred, but it would be harder then I thought.

I sat in the seat as Mary went back to work, Max leaning over me. We were there for over a half hour before I found it. _Demaca K. Mosse, Mesa, Arizona, murdered._ I read the paragraphs under it.

_Demaca K. Mosse, a wanted serial killer for targeting women in and around Mesa city limets, was murdered on May 16, 2010 after trying to kill a young girl out with her family. The girl, possibly 14-year-old Max Martinez/Batchelder, was at a picnic with her two sisters, father, and step-mother at the time of the killing. Reports say that Max was watching her family play sports when she was taken from the park by Mosse. Her father, Batchelder, saw his daughter being kidnapped and followed, only to see his daughter inches away from death. Max was reportedly still alert and watched as Batchelder murdered Mosse for protection of his daughter, and was able to clearly tell police the whole story. Max is expected to heal fine._

"This is it!" I said, clicking print as the printer started. I saw Max rubbing her shoulder. "What?"

She looked to see if anyone else was around, and pulled her sleeve up. A long, blood red knife scar was visible trailing down the front of her shoulder. "This happened as soon as Dad jumped on him. He was aiming for my heart, but Dad attacked him and used his own knife to kill him."

I averted my eyes from the scare and caught the paper as it slid out of the printer, Demaca's whole report visable. "We can prove Jeb's innocence now."

"But there are no witnesses."

"Yes there is. You."

Max's eyes widened.

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**me: I don't know if this is good. Or bad. Or okay. But I'm happy with how it turned out. I thought it was going to be terrible.**

**Angel: Remember to add her as a friend!**

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**me: Review?**


	16. Truth, Lies, and Stereotypes

**me: You're gonna like this chapter. And you'll never guess what's in it.**

**Angel: No matter how hard you try.**

**Total: But it's good.**

**me: I wanna get to it! I had chills just writing it. Enjoy!**

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**End of last chapter:**

_I averted my eyes from the scare and caught the paper as it slid out of the printer, Demaca's whole report visible. "We can prove Jeb's innocence now."_

_"But there are no witnesses."_

_"Yes there is. You."_

_Max's eyes widened._

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Max looked down at her feet. "Fang, I don't know..."

"Alright then, you can move in with your meatloaf smiling couch potato of an aunt and your military uncle." I shrugged. "Your choice."

She glared at me. "I should have never told you that." She rubbed her shoulder again. _"Dad..."_she whispered. "Okay, I'll be a witness. But we'll need MaryKay."

"Why?"

"She was the one who interviewed me after the murder." She averted her eyes. "But listen, there's...something I need to tell you before we get back to LA. Something I haven't even told my sisters. Only me and Dad know." She took a deep breath and kept rubbing her shoulder.

I waited, leaning up forward. Looks like my patience paid off.

Max took another deep breath. "Come with me." She walked out from behind the counter, thanked MaryKay, and walked out the front door. I frowned, but followed. Neither of us said a word as she walked blocks away. I kept a safe distance behind.

Suddenly I froze. "Max, this is a graveyard," I whispered, not moving from the gate. She didn't even look at the graves as she walked down the path, like she knew exactly where she was going. I swallowed hard. Max was sure making me nervous.

She slowly turned. "I know. Don't be scared. Dead people won't hurt you."

"I'm not scared," I murmured under my breath. I glanced up to make sure she didn't hear. She was still walking down the path.

Max suddenly swerved to the left, and still didn't look at the graves as she walked on. She stopped and kneeled down beside a grave. I slowly followed her and bent down beside the grave.

_R.I.P_

_Max Martinex_

_b. Sep. 6, 1995 d. Mar. 9, 2010_

_Loved daughter, sister, and friend._

_May she always be remembered._

I frowned. "There's another girl named Max Martinez?" I asked. I looked over at Max. She wasn't there. My blood ran cold as I lept to my feet. "Max? Where are you?"

The air in front of me shimmered and Max appeared. I jumped back. "You - you - how did you do that?"

Max pointed at the grave. "That's me, Fang. I'm a ghost. The dead are supposed to be vilont, mean, haunting people. But they can turn solid. And they're completely harmless, even the ones who died murderers. Murderers are just here on earth as ghosts longer. That's why I told you not to murder Sam."

"So you're a ghost, now?"

"In a way. If you dig up that grave my body won't be there. Or a skeleton. When I'm visible, which I am most of the time, the body comes back to you. When I turn invisible..." Max shimmered and she disappeared. "My body is back in it's grave." The voice was still hers. It was right in front of me. Now I know how Ron felt when Harry put his cloak on.

She shimmered back to reality. "I'm not different, Fang. It's like having a super power, and knowing where your body goes. I'm just like you in this form. I have feelings, I need food and water, I still go through teen puberty. And I'm aging just like everyone else. It's like I'm still alive."

I took a deep breath, but didn't even move.

Max's face turned hard and she shook her head. "I knew I should have never told you! I knew you'd look at me differently!" She turned and stomped towards the trees.

"Max!" I yelled. I ran after her and grabbed her wrist. She was solid, that goodness. "I don't think of you as different. I've never suspected anything. You're just like a regular human, in your body. I'll probably forget about it all tomorrow anyway."

"Oh, and another thing. We can burn our own bodies. Just like being burned alive, but we're gone before we feel pain. Then we leave the earth. Except for people who...weren't good in their lifetime. Murderers, child abusers, theifs, you get the picture. They can try all they want, their bodies can't catch fire. That's why they stay invisible most of the time."

"So, do you have a time limit or whatever on earth after death? Where you can't burn your body?"

She knew what I was thinking. She talks about her life being awful, and she could leave at any time.

"Yes, but my time limit passed a month ago. The only reason I'm still here is because of Ella and Kara. And - nevermind."

"What?"

"Friends. Not that I have many, but still. If we do save my dad, I'm leaving."

Terror stuck through me. Max would burn her body after the court hearing, unless Jeb dies. I couldn't do that to Max. Unless...

"Do you want to leave?"

Max opened her mouth, then closed it again. "I did. But I'm happy in LA. But ghosts can't be totally happy, you always had the feel of death. Until I get full custody of my body again, I want to leave, no matter how happy I am. All ghosts are like that. The only ones who even last a full year are either criminals or regained full custody."

"How can you regain full custody of your body?"

"I have to, um, well... Someone can die in my place. Or having to take care of other lives, like how I care for Ella and Kara. But it doesn't count if your full guardian. But all real gardians or parents have to be dead first. Jeb, and my aunt and uncle. Or, I can fall in love. And I won't let number one happen, number three won't, so... either way this case goes, I leave."

I tried unclenching my jaw. It didn't work. "So Jeb will be taking care of you all if he's freed?"

Max nodded.

"Okay then," I said. "Let's go back to MaryKay and get this over with." I don't think I did a very good job of hiding the pain I felt.

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**me: Oo!**

**Angel: If you have questions, include them in reviews and MRA will answer them in the next commantary.**

**Total: How'd you like it?**

**me: Review?**


	17. I'll Tell You a Secret

**me: Alright, happy friendly reviewers! Thanks for the great reviews and support!**

**Angel: But one request.**

**Total: A review was sent in, one that almost made MRA stop this story, to prevent this from happening again...**

**me: I ask that if you decide to stop reading, please do not tell me in a review or PM. Just do it silently, please. No matter nice you try to make it, the author always thinks they've done something horribly wrong.**

**Angel: So please, do not tell her you've decided to stop reading. If it happens again, she might delete the story.**

**Total: And you'll be blamed for taking later chapters away from people who actually like this story.**

**me: Yes, so please enjoy!**

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**ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS: To maxridelover123: Yes, whichever way it goes, she dies. Again. To Puckabrina-Percabeth-Fax101: By 'gaining full custody' she pretty much living again. But as Max will mention in this chapter, ghosts can only re-live once. This is the first time she's died, but after she dies the next time, she can't re-live.**

"Max," I whispered. We were back at the police station, waiting for MaryKay. "How did you die?"

She looked down, playing with her hands. "My shoulder wasn't all Demaca hit." She lifted her shirt a few inches. A deep red gnash from a knife ran down her side, where Demaca struck. "There's really no way to survive that. But it doesn't matter anymore. In about two hours, I'll be gone." She made a face. "And maybe this feel of death will leave."

"Then why don't you just find some cute guy to like? Or let someone die in your place?"

"No. I won't let someone die for me. Especially when I'm already dead. It's hard to fall in love as a ghost, Fang. It's like standing on your head. Some can do it, some can't. Either way it hurts to try. I've tried so many times, but it's hard."

As soon as she said that, I made up my mind. I stood up and walked back to graveyard, Max walking behind me, calling my name and asking what I was doing. Max said that murders have a longer time doomed to earth. Demaca Mosse was a murderer. Which means he's still here.

It only took a few minutes to find Demaca's grave. I always wanted to know what it was like to make a ghost mad. I stomped the ground beside his grave. A growl ripped through the air right next to my ear. "What's the matter? Chicken?" I asked.

"Fang! Stop! Don't make him mad!" Max said. She ran up and grabbed my wrist.

"You said ghosts are harmless, even the murderers."

"Yeah, but that doesn't work if you -" She froze and her eyes widened as the air in front of us shimmered. A tall, fit man with dark brown eyes and brown hair, oval face. His eyebrows were scrunched in a scowl so tight it looked like a uni-brow. "Demaca!" she whispered.

His voice was as hard as ice, like what you hear in horror movies. It sent chills down my back. "Hello again, Max." His jaw tightened. "Hope your sisters are well."

"Not quite," Max said. She put her hands on her hips. "Because of Dad's protection move, he's sentenced to death in a few hours. Come on, Fang. We need to go."

Demaca muttered something under his breath so low I couldn't hear. But apparently Max caught it. Her eyes widened and she took a step closer. "Really?"

He nodded. "Yes. I've been visiting surrounding states, where our little problem hasn't spread. I took some anger management classes. I thought since I was doomed here for two years it might help me. And it did." He scrunched his nose. "Unfortunetly, it helped too much. So I'm not going to kill your friend here." He jabbed a tumb in my direction.

"So you're really gonna help us?" Max said, her lips curling into a grin.

"No. I'm not that far in it. But I'll tell you a secret I learned when I was invisible." He coxed Max over and whispered in her ear. Max's grin widened.

"Thank you, Demaca! You might have just saved my dad!" She gave Demaca a quick hug before running back through the graveyard. I frowned at Demaca, and turned to follow Max.

**-line-**

**me: Sorry this chapter is so short.**

**Angel: She just needed something for the next chapter.**

**Total: Which will be when they try to save Jeb.**

**me: REVIEW!**


	18. Goodbyes

**me: It's time for everyone's favorite...**

**Angel: *drumroll***

**me: FAX!**

**Total: *cheers***

**me: Enjoy!**

**-line-**

Max has been quiet this whole time on the plane back to LA, just a grin on her face.

"Max, please tell me what Demaca said. You're killing me here."

She grinned and looked at me. "Okay, I have proof that Dad was legally allowed to kill Demaca, for protection or not. There are no charges or penalties they can hold against him."

"Why?"

Her grin widened. "You'll see," she said. She sat back in the sat, still grinning, and closed her eyes. I shot a look at MaryKay, who only shrugged.

An hour later, we arrived at the LA airport. It was twenty minutes before Jeb's execution. I was actually worried that we might not get to him in time, with all the traffic at the airport. But we got our luggage and got to the police office with ten minutes to spare.

The lady at the front desk pointed us to the execution room, and we were gone before she could even ask why.

We all looked through the little glass circle on the top of the door. Jeb was strapped to a hospital bed, a heart monitor strapped to him. He didn't look the least bit worried. His heart rate was still eighty. Doctors and officers were leaned over him, a syringe in his arm. They pushed the medicine in him before we could bust in the door.

Max laid her hand on the window, slowly curling her fingers into a fist as she watched her father die. MaryKay hugged her from behind, tears in her eyes as she watched Jeb's heart rate slowly decreasing. A tear escaped Max's eye and trialed down her cheek.

It hit me like a cement block.

Max was about to die.

"I'll go get Kara and Ella," MaryKay said. "Will you be okay?"

Max nodded and looked away from the window, where Jeb was flat-lined.

MaryKay nodded and walked away. Max glanced at me and ran down the hall, the other way then where MaryKay had gone. Terror struck me as I ran after her.

I saw Max in a room, probably a storage room with nothing in it. She was collapsed on her knees and crying. I slowly turned the knob and opened the door. Max glanced up.

"You're not going to..." I started.

Max nodded. "Yes. My body will go to my grave unharmed, while my soul will go up. I'm actually relieved.

Wanting Max to stay was selfish. She was in pain living undead. I should want her to be happy, and she can't do that when she's wrongly bound to earth. Unless...

"Max, think of Ella and Kara. Do you really want them to live with your horrible aunt? Knowing you're dead and gone?"

Max froze and looked down. Yeah, now I got her feeling selfish.

"Fang, I'm sorry. But I promised myself I wouldn't live another needless day on earth. You don't know what it's like to be a ghost. It's horrible. You'll understand when you die. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. I'm sorry, but I have to leave."

"Think of all your friends here you'll leave behind! Think of my mom, and Iggy, and Nudge and Angel adore you. They'll be crushed. You don't want to hurt them, do you? And think of just one guy, you're his world." I slowly walked up and brushed her hair behind her ear, giving her a gentle kiss on the lips. "You're my world."

Max didn't move a muscle. Was she trying to make this awkward? I slowly waited for her response.

When she didn't say anything, I kissed her again, closing my eyes, never wanting this moment to end. I didn't even realize that Max had a yellow glow around her.

I opened my eyes and backed up. "Whoa, is that supposed to happen?"

"Yes," she said, nodding. "It's my body returning to me permanently, my grave vanishing. It's me... becoming human again."

A grin creeped over my face. "We better be getting back to your sisters."

She nodded and opened the door. As we walked down the hall, my hand slowly grabbed hers and intertwined our fingers. She squeezed my hand.

**-line-**

**me: *dances* Go fax, go fax, go fax, go FAX!**

**Angel: Finally they get together!**

**Total: It just took about eighteen chapters.**

**me: Yes. And I'll add even more fax if you REVIEW!**


	19. READ IF YOU'RE CONFUSED!

**READ IF YOU'RE CONFOSED!**

**Okay, a lot of you are really confused about the last few chapters. Let me explain:**

**Demaca did kill Max. She was dead, even buried. But her soul was still on earth. She can be invisible and still have her soul, or she can call her body back to her and be like a regular human. She looks no different. But she ages. Even as just a ghost, she would gradually end her teenage years and go into adulthood.**

**Ghosts are bound to earth for one year. Just one year. Unless they do big crimes: stealing, murder, ect. Then they're bound to years to earth. After one year, Max can leave earth. She can burn her body, and her soul with leave earth.**

**There are three things that can make Max human again: Having children to take care of (with all parents/guardians dead), falling in love, or someone can die in her place.**

**Now, if you paid attention at the end of the last chapter:**

I_ didn't even realize that Max had a yellow glow around her. _

_I opened my eyes and backed up. "Whoa, is that supposed to happen?"_

_"Yes," she said, nodding. "It's my body returning to me permanently, my grave vanishing. It's me... becoming human again."_

**So what do you think made Max human again? She fell in love. With Fang.**

**But here's the thing! She can only become a ghost once. Next time she dies, her soul doesn't roam around earth. Her body is permanently in her grave.**

**I hope this has answered all your questions! If you have another, include it in a review or PM and I will answer it.**


	20. Christmas Gifts?

**me: I'm soooooooooo sorry!**

**Angel: You should be! You FORGOT about this story!**

**me: I know! *pouts* I feel guilty!**

**Total: _I'd walk through for fire for you, walk through fort wire for you!_**

**me: STOP SINGING THE BAND PERRY! I love their music, though. There's not one of their songs that I don't love.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own MR. But I own plots and unrecognized characters.**

The road to finding someone to adopt Max and her sisters wasn't an easy one. Everyone at least had two kids, if not three or four, and didn't want three more. It would have been easier if they hadn't refused to split up. Meanwhile, it's only a matter of time before her aunt (and the government) realizes she's an orphan.

But now? It's Christmas. A thin layer of show is on the ground, everyone houses are decorated with lights, some set up for Hanukkah. Christmas trees of all different kinds - pine, evergreens, ect. - can be seen through the windows. Angels and stars decorate the tops of the trees.

For us? We have an angel topper. Blame Angel, she insisted on the tree topper to match her name. Actually, when she was first told about 'Angel' tree toppers, she thought she would have to climb on top of the tree for Christmas day.

But here's my problem: I have nothing to give Max.

Flowers: Cheesy and predictable. Jewelry: Thoughtful but too popular for a present. Card: Cheap. Chocolate: Too... Valentine Day-sy. Balloons: Not for Christmas, but birthday and baby showers are fine. Ornament: You can't walk into a store without seeing shelves of ornaments. Plus, everyone has way too many to even fit on their tree. Christmas figurine: She doesn't believe in Santa Clause, and they have a whole nativity scene in their front yard.

So, I was forced to go to a professional.

I knocked on the door. "Nudge?"

I know. I was scared, too.

"One minute!" I heard paper ruffle and something hit wood. The door slowly opened. I saw Christmas wrapping paper and tape half sticking out from under her bed. Yeah, cause she actually knows what to get. Ugh.

"Can I ask you about... Christmas presents?"

"I'll take a gift card to Starbucks any day!"

"...Not you. I already have yours. I mean, for Max. She's my first relationship that has actually lasted through Christmas."

Nudge grinned. "Come on in." She walked over to a cooler and pulled out two sodas. Yeah, she has a cooler in her room. Middle kids get everything! Well, at least it's not a mini-fridge. "Max is a hard person to buy gifts for." She gave me a Pepsi and cracked hers open. She sat on the foot of her bed and sipped the soda.

I cracked mine open but sat it on the nightstand. My stomach was flip-flopping. I was too nervous to drink anything.

"Well, I got her a fifty dollar gift card to Victoria's Secret. But that may be a little awkward coming from a guy. Even a boyfriend."

"Just a little," I agreed.

"Hum..." She tapped her chin. "Well, everyone loves candy."

I sighed. "Do you know how many times guys get girls candy? Way too often. It's cliché. I need something ... _original."_

"Oh. I can't think of anything right off the bat, but I'll think about it. I'll let you know if I think of something, 'kay? I really need to get this wrapping done, and it's _your_ present I'm wrapping. You can't see it or it'll be ruined!"

"Okay, okay." I held my hands up in that stupid 'surrender' way they do on TV and slowly opened the door and backed out. I sighed. This leaves me no choice. It'll probably get me no where, but I have to. I have to talk to Iggy. Yeah, cause Iggy is a huge romance genius. Ha.

Iggy had posters of rock bands and big signs that said 'IGGY'S ROMANCE SHACK' and 'MY MAN CAVE' all over his walls. **(I must admit I didn't come up with 'romance shack' I was looking at the pictures my friend's mom put up on Facebook, and she took a picture of his room. She put in the caption: '*his name*'s romance shack'. His MOM. It cracked me up so much I still remember it!)**No matter how much I liked the My Chemical Romance and Tokio Hotel posters, I still wanted to barf.

"Iggy," I said, "there are only a select number of people who can walk in this room and not slap you."

He grinned. "That's the point! If Mom saw this room, I'd be grounded for life. She never comes in after that incident with the garlic."

Yes. Five years ago Iggy had the bright idea of going as a vampire hunter of Halloween (?) and strung rows and rows of garlic all over his room and threw it at whoever dared to come in yelling 'AWAY, DEMON!'. The whole house reeked of garlic and when Mom finally figured out where it came from, she was hit in the face with garlic. You can still smell it in here.

To this day, no one knows where he got all that garlic.

"_No one_comes in here since the garlic incident," I said. Except Gazzy, but that's because he has practically no sense of smell. (He's Gazzy for crying out loud. If he could smell almost anything he would pass out from his own fumes.)

"Exactly. So that leads me to the question of the century: Why are you here?"

I sighed again and plopped next to him on his bed. "I can't think of anything to get Max. And Christmas Eve is in two days."

"Really? I'm getting Max a potato."

"Wow. You're so thoughtful."

"A potato clock, you ding-dong. An alarm clock shaped like a potato."

...Way to go deep, Iggy.

"Well, I want to get Max a something a little more romantic than a potato clock. Something a boyfriend would actually get a girlfriend." Like Iggy would know about that. He hasn't been in a decent relationship past the age where you can get a button that says 'You're cute as a button!' on it and consider it a thoughtful gift.

"Oh, okay. Well, what were you thinking for her?"

"I don't know. I wouldn't be here if I knew." I propped my elbows on my knees and covered my face with my hands. Everything to Iggy goes in one ear and out the other.

"What do you mean you don't know? There's plenty of great boyfriend stuff. You just have to get her a necklace that's not plastic or a flower without a bug in it. Now girls, they must have it tougher. Have you ever heard a girl talking about an easy guy gift?" **(I'm thinking in the mind of a guy. Sorry guys, if you don't think like this. I know there are easy gifts to get for guys out there.)**

This. Kid. Is. Hopeless.

"Sorry, I want to get her something _good."_

Iggy snapped his fingers and shot up from the bed. "I know! It's jewlery, but it's good." He reached under his bed and pulled out a little white box that said FINE JEWLERY on it. He popped open the box and held it out to me. "I saw some girls in the store saying how they would love for their boyfriends to get it for them. It's perfect! I got it for Ella."

I frowned. "You're dating Ella?"

His face turned red. "No..."

Poor Ella. Her necklace will smell like garlic. I looked back in the box. It was a gold locket in the shape of a heard that said 'You Have My Heart' in fancy cursive. Two gold beads on the sides of it held it in place on the black chain.

"It's a choker." Iggy lifted it out of the box so I could see the lock in the back, hardly long enough to fit a throat. "Ella said her whole family loves chokers."

"This would be good. But everyone buys jewlery."

He laughed. "Do you think she'll care? All she'll worry about is how you bothered to spend money on her. Plus, it's the thought that counts."

"You read that on the back of a Cheeze-It box, did't you?"

"Saltine crackers. It's a good life lesson. Anyway, they have more of these. There were five in the store when I bought this one, and I bought it this morning."

What do you know? The kind of Romance Fail island actually gave me good advice.

"Don't you think it'll tip them off when they get the same present?"

"So they'll match, who cares? I've seen tons of pictures of matching sisters in magazines I steal from Nudge. They don't have to be the same, either. I saw some with birthstones. They'll both love it. Ella told me their dad got their mom a choker when they got married. It'll have... sentamental value."

I rolled my eyes. But that was actually a good idea... and Max's birthstone was really pretty. October. That would look good in the fancy 'You Have My Heart' writing. Now if I can just find the money to buy something like that, I'll be golden. "Where did you get it?"

"That Hope and Love store down the block. They're like thirty dollars, though."

Max better like that choker.

**me: I love chokers, but I haven't had one in years.**

**Angel: You don't have to worry about them getting caught under your shirt of in your way.**

**Total: In other words, the bandanas Angel puts on me. *claws at bandana***

**me: Oh, hush. I hope you liked it! Please review!**


	21. Plan B? I Have No Plan B!

**me: Alright, I'm gonna have to wrap this story up. I threw in a little twist in this chapter, but after the Christmas is over you'll get...**

**Angel: *drumroll***

**me: Max's secrets!**

**Total: *bangs cymbols***

**me: Yay! :D**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own MR...**

"May I help you, sir?"

I jumped. A woman with a tag that said _Hope and Love: Quality Jewelry _and a name tag that said _Laura_ stood smiling beside me.

"Um," I stuttered. I pointed to the gold heart choker beneath the glass. "My brother said you had these with inscriptions and birth stones."

She nodded and motioned for me to follow her to another glass counter. "We have one more inscription left." I peered through the glass and stifled a groan. Of all things, the fancy cursive writing read _World's Greatest Wife._ World's greatest _wife?_ You have GOT to be kidding me.

I glanced up at Laura. "How old do you think I am?"

Laura shrugged. "Nineteen, twenty maybe?"

If it was anything but glass, I would have beat my head on it. "I'm fourteen. This is for my girlfriend, not a wife."

"Oh." She glanced back down at the necklace. "That changes things. What inscription were you looking for?"

"One that said 'You have my heart'."

She bit her bottom lip. "We sold the last of those a few hours ago." She snapped her fingers. "You know what? We called in another shipment last week. It has all kinds of inscriptions. It will be in later today or tomorrow." She grinned at me. "Let me load your number in and we'll give you a call when it's in."

I glanced at a sign on the counter 'CLOSED CHRISTMAS EVE AND CHRISTMAS DAY'. "Tomorrow's the day before Christmas eve."

"Yes, but the markets guaranteed they would get here before Christmas eve. They haven't failed yet."

Hesitating, I scrolled through my options in my head. Either wait for the shipment, or have no gift to give Max. The second option wasn't an option. I nodded. "Alright. If I dont' get a gift for my girlfriend she'll kill me. Just let me in to get it before you close."

Laura grinned at me and walked behind the counter to the computer. I called off my number as she typed it in.

So I went home praying to get the call soon, and before Christmas.

* * *

I paced up and down the floor beside the phone. Now was the time to panic. I glanced glowing red 3:30 PM on the clock beside the couch. The Hope and Love store closed at five, and wouldn't reopen until after Christmas. The clock was slowly ticking until I would have to tell Max I couldn't get a gift for her, and my life officially ended.

"Fang," Iggy said. "Mom says stop pacing. You're causing a draft."

I shot a glare at him. "Sorry, I'm just... nervous."

"I can see," he said, frowning. **(Remember, they never went to the School, so Iggy isn't blind.)**"Why didn't you just get her that wife one as a joke?"

"I'm not getting my girlfriend a 'Worlds Greatest Wife' locket!" I suddenly stopped and grinned. "You're not afraid to give chocolates to a girl. Give me Ella's locket and I'll go buy chocolates for you to give her. Consider it a... trade."

"Come on, Fang, that choker costs thirty dollars. You'd have to get a mighty big box of chocolates for thirty dollars."

Sighing, I said, "I guess you're right. I'll just have to trust that Laura wasn't lying about the shipment."

"Laura?" Iggy wagged his eyebrows. "Is she cute?"

"She's thirty something. You have a girlfriend, remember?"

The phone on the table rang. I jumped across the couch and grabbed it. "Hello?"

"Is this the Giffith home?"

"Um, yes."

"Come quick. We close in five minutes and the shipment just arrived. So -"

I cut the voice off my slamming it onto the receiver and jumping over the couch and out the door. I ran to the Hope and Love store, and reached the doors right as the night guard was pulling the key from the lock. My heart jumped into my throat.

"Please let me in!" I begged. "Tomorrow's Christmas Eve..."

The guard shrugged. "Sorry, buddy," he said, his voice muffled by the glass door. "It's against regulation."

"Who cares about regulation?"

He shrugged and turned around, walking through the halls of the store.

"Then at least grab it and let me give you the money!"

He turned around. "Okay!"

Please. Like he really agreed to that. Instead of saying 'Okay!' (How nice that would have been...) he shrugged again and turned back around.

I squinted my eyes and glared at him. Great. Now I'm going to have to give her chocolates or some other lame cliché gift. It rang in the back of my head that I could get it after Christmas, Max would understand that, right? Yeah, sure, and let her know I waited till the last minute to go buy her gift?

While I was arguing with myself, my feet led themselves down the block. _Against regulation._ How stupid.

I ran into a late-night store and grabbed Max some chocolates and flowers as a cover up. I was still going to get the choker and give it to Max. I would just have to figure out how I was supposed to tell her without her ripping my throat out.

**me: Oo... DUN DUN DUN!**

**Angel: *laughs* FA, how do you spell 'Dun Dun Dun Du...'**

**me: D-U-N D-U-N D-U-N D... U...'**

**Total: FA and her friend did that. It was hilarious.**

**me: Review and you'll get Max's secrets sooner!**


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